Therapy
by Meggles00
Summary: **Now M-rated for later chapters** Nathan Scott was on his way to a scintillating season with the Bobcats when he injured his knee. How does he recover from something as life-changing as this, and who is the life-changing person who helps him?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** 'Therapy'

**Author:** Megan

**Pairing:** Nathan/Haley

**Rating:** T (for now). I will change the rating should the need arise.

**Disclaimer:** No ownership here.

**Spoilers/Warnings:** No spoilers as this is AU, but a warning for the M rating.

**Summary:** _Nathan Scott was on __his way to a scintillating season with the Bobcats when he injured his knee, trying to fight through the tough and relentless defence in the fourth quarter of the Bobcats' 98-94 loss to the Boston Celtics. Double-teamed, and jostling for the ball, all it took was for him to land awkwardly, both knees locked, when he heard the infamous "pop". He knew he was screwed the second his feet touched the ground._

**Author's Notes:** I wanted to try another multi-chapter fic – nothing novel length – but a several chapter story of an AU-NH scenario.

* * *

_**Therapy - **__**the act of caring for someone.**_

* * *

_Split-seconds. Fractions of time that, when viewed through the eyes of someone experiencing a near-death or painful experience, can also seem like the longest stretches of time. _

_Nathan Scott was on __his way to a scintillating season with the Bobcats when he injured his knee trying to fight through the tough and relentless defence in the final moments of the Bobcats' 98-94 loss to the Boston Celtics. Double-teamed, and jostling for the ball, all it took was for him to land awkwardly, both knees locked, when he heard the infamous "pop". He knew he was screwed the second his feet touched the ground._

_Once back inside the change rooms, he was evaluated by the Bobcats' medical staff in order to establish a preliminary diagnosis. You didn't have to be medically-savvy to know this was not good. Once the room had cleared, Nathan had hobbled to his feet, and then proceeded to trash the contents of his locker. It took the very same medical team to come back inside and restrain him from further demolishing the entire room. This was Nathan Scott – promising new signing, straight from Duke University, and he had barely lasted the first half of his rookie season._

Today he was Nathan Scott, patient. And quite frankly, as a patient, Nathan Scott sucked. He was restless and nervous. He may have ended his career with this injury. A promising career, too. A career in the NBA that had really only started and looked to be fizzing out unless the doctor before him could work a miracle.

He sat in the oversized leather chair in the office of Bobcats' physician, watching the doctor's lips move, but not really listening to a word he was saying. He wanted to leave that to the other people in the room: Larry Brown, the team coach; and Lucas Scott, his brother and interim manager. Nathan's mind was going in to overdrive about worst-case scenarios, and what his back up plan for life after basketball would involve. _Booze? Hookers? Drugs? Hosting SportsCenter?_

He shook his head, as if to rid his mind of those thoughts, and turned his attention fully to the doctor. Maybe if he actually listened, he could actually figure out his next move.

"…so our ultimate goal will be to reconstruct the ACL-deficient knee with one surgery at the appropriate time and then rehabilitate the knee so that it is symmetrical in motion, strength, and stability to the opposite knee." _NATHAN TRANSLATION: BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH_

Nathan nodded slowly at the team physician before asking a question.

"When do you think I'll be back playing, Dr Perry?"

"Well, Nathan, we really need to see how the surgery and post-op rehabilitation goes. We could rush you back on the court, but then your knee could blow out again, and you may never play again. Get the proper treatment, and you'll be a great starter for next season."

"Next season? You're kidding, right?"

"Nathan – the choice is simple. Rush back now, and never play again, or invest in proper therapy and enjoy several more seasons of your career."

Nathan sat silently in the office, contemplating the Dr Perry's last words. It really was a no-brainer decision. Go back now, and risk it all for good, or take the time to recuperate fully, and still play. It was frustrating as all hell, as he had fought a long and hard battle to get to the NBA, and now that he was finally playing, he stood a very great chance of losing it all.

"OK Doctor, we'll do it your way – I'll have the surgery and rehabilitation, but I need your best team on every aspect of this, especially the rehab".

"It goes without saying, Nathan. We can schedule the surgery once the swelling has gone, and you have full hyperextension and flexion. Trying to operate beforehand could put the joint at risk and do more than harm than good. Your rehab will start in the recovery room immediately after surgery. We have a machine to place under your knee that would move it up and down for several hours to reduce the chances of knee joint stiffness down the road."

"Over the following weeks, you will spend a great deal of time in rehab under the guidance of the athletic trainer and the Bobcats' medical staff. I will also be seeking the expert assistance of some of the rehabilitation team at Presbyterian Hospital, where the surgery will take place. After regular monitoring, and consultation with the medical teams and the athletic trainer, I can see no reason why you won't be able to begin light shooting and court drills to re-train your leg for your return to basketball."

Nathan sat and let the information sink in, before offering the doctor a nod of the head in silent thanks. He then stood gingerly and shook Dr Perry's hand before grabbing his crutches and leaving the office, praying to god that the upcoming surgery would be the solution to his current situation.

* * *

"Nate! Hey Nate, wait up!" Lucas called, as he watched Nathan open the rear door to the town car, organised by the team. There was absolutely zero chance of Nathan being able to drive until well-after his rehabilitation had commenced.

"What is it, Luke?"

"You OK? You just kinda spaced out in there, and took off."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to get some fresh air and chill out at home before the surgery, I guess".

"Do you want some company, man? We can talk as much or as little as you want about this, but we will need to talk about it at some time." Lucas walked over to him and placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder in reassurance.

"Nah man, it's OK. I think I just need a bit of time alone on this. I'll call you later though". The brothers shared a small smile, before leaning in for a familiar hug and heading off in their separate directions.

Nathan sat in the back of the town card for a moment, watching Luke drive off. He motioned to the driver to take off and head for home.

* * *

The driver pulled up to the gate of Nathan's driveway. Nathan retrieved his keys from his pocket, and clicked the button on the key fob, which automatically retracted the gate. The car slowly made its way down the short drive and pulled up in front of the garage.

Nathan gathered his crutches, thanking the driver for his time, and slowly made his way to the front door.

Once inside, he left the crutches by the door, and hopped/walked to his answering machine in the living room. The blinking light showed 15 messages had been left, but he was in no mood to listen to them right now.

A short hop had him at his makeshift bar, where he poured himself a neat Scotch before falling down to his sofa in front of the big-screen TV, automatically tuned to ESPN. Highlights to some random PGA tournament were currently showing, however as he watched the screen, he saw the ticker-tape newsfeed mentioning his upcoming surgery.

"News travels fast." he muttered to himself before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**_OK, so that's the premise of the story, disguised as Chapter 1. I'll keep posting as and when inspiration strikes! x_**


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who has read the story and submitted an alert for updates. Here's Chapter Two:

* * *

Following his appointment with Dr Perry, Nathan was instructed to visit Presbyterian Hospital daily to have his knee assessed to determine when the surgery would take place. It was two weeks of progressing from crutches to walking relatively normal; icing and elevating his knee, and avoiding his current favourite pastime: drinking himself into oblivion. All he wanted to do was drink away the pain and aggravation of the injury.

Here he was, though, in his private hospital suite, post-op. He had been a little groggy after waking from surgery, but was slowly coming to. Lucas had been waiting for him in the suite, and now that he was back and reasonably coherent, all signs pointed to good. Lucas took the opportunity to make a bit of small talk to while away the time.

"So, I forgot to mention this to you earlier, but it looks like you'll have a bona fide agent soon."

"Yeah, that's _if_ I can play again, man. There's no point in trying to finalising anything until we hear from the doctor."

"I totally agree, Nate, but we still have to keep looking so that you'll have the best when you're ready to return to the game." Lucas shifted in his seat, and removed a card from his wallet.

"Here, take this. It's a card for Clay Evans. He's got an impressive roster. Most of his clients are rookies, but everyone's talking about them, and there's no reason you shouldn't be one of them."

"Great. So I can get lost amongst his roster. C'mon Luke, you know it probably won't work out. Having us, just one on one, has worked out well. You can still write on the road."

"Nate – "

"Luke, please. Before we do anything that we can't rescind, let's just see how the recovery goes, and then we can talk seriously about it, OK?

Luke regarded him with brows knitted, before nodding his agreement.

Dr Perry entered the room and took a seat by Nathan, thumbing through his chart to see how his patient was recovering.

"So Nathan, how are you feeling?" Dr Perry enquiried.

"Fine, I guess. Just a little tired from the anesthesia."

"Don't worry too much about it, you should be fine in an hour or two." Dr Perry shifted back in the chair before continuing. "I think you did the right thing opting for general anesthesia. I'm very confident your recovery time will be minimised. You're young and in great physical shape. I'm going to have the physical therapy team come in later today to start your range of motion exercises. The therapist overseeing your recovery is not present at the moment – I have her seeing to another patient – but I will have her come to your home tomorrow to discuss the rehab program."

"My home tomorrow? So you mean I'll be discharged today?"

"We'll get the therapy started this afternoon, and see how you go. If need be, we'll keep you in for one more night, but you can then be discharged tomorrow morning."

With that, Dr Perry left the room, leaving Nathan to ponder the next steps in his recovery.

* * *

As he had hoped, later that day Nathan soon found himself packing his belongings from his suite, and waiting for Dr Perry to sign him out. As is normal practice from the hotel, one of the nursing staff helped him into a wheelchair and out to the waiting vehicle arranged by the Bobcats. Luke came out of the left rear passenger door, and helped him load everything into the town car. Avoiding the waiting press, they managed to drive off without too much inconvenience.

Dr Perry had provided a post-surgery report, along with a recommended rehab schedule which would be finalised by the therapist after her visit tomorrow. For now, doctor's orders were to rest and to keep the leg raised.

As Lucas opened the front door to Nathan's house, he walked in making sure everything was in order – random pieces of furniture were pushed to the side to avoid tripping, and most of Nathan's items were downstairs, to help avoid having to go upstairs and put strain on his knee.

"I set up your office as a temporary bedroom. I hope you don't mind – just thought it would be easier for you to get around for the first few days", Lucas said as he moved back into the living room.

Nathan surveyed the scene and noticed his "bar" had been moved. Lucas followed his line of sight and knew immediately what Nathan was thinking.

"Nate – "

"Nah, it's cool. I should probably keep things simple, right? I need to get back on the team, and I guess this is what I need to do."

Lucas walked over to him and gave him an encouraging pat on the back. "You're doing the right thing, and this physiotherapy is going to have you back playing better and stronger than before, I just know it. If it doesn't, I'll hunt down your therapist and punch him in the throat."

"Her throat"

"What?"

"You said, "his" throat, but apparently the therapist tomorrow is a woman." Nathan shrugged his shoulders and sat down on his sofa, rubbing his eyes.

"Right, well I won't be punching anything in that case. Listen Nate, I've got a conference call with an lit agent from New York in an hour. Do you need anything before I head off?"

Nathan smiled to himself. _He really is going off to write the next great American novel. At least some of us are trying to live our dreams._ "Nah man, go do your thing. I'll call if I need anything."

"OK, great. So I'll stop by after your first session tomorrow and see how you went."

"Cool. See you tomorrow big brother."

"See ya little brother."

* * *

The sound of the doorbell rang through his house – it sounded amplified this morning, and Nathan woke with a startle. Taking in his surroundings he realised he had fallen asleep on the sofa last night. The sofa in the living room…right near the front door. Jumping up, and nearly falling off the sofa in the process, Nathan grabbed his crutches and made his way to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Haley James, I'm the physical therapist from Presbyterian Hospital. I'm working with Dr Perry." Shit. Nathan hadn't realised the time, and looked at his appearance in the mirror near the door. Running his fingers through his hair, he pressed down his clothing hoping the creases would go away. No such luck. A moment later he opened the front door.

"Hi, Nathan?"

"Yes. Hi, how are you? Come in."

Haley made her way in to Nathan's house, putting her bag down by the sofa before turning around.

"I'm doing well thanks Nathan. How have you been?"

Nathan furrowed his brow slightly at the second part of her reply. There was something oddly familiar about this therapist – her face was a reminder of the past; the way she looked at him briefly before looking down, the color of her hair as it moved in sync with her.

"You don't remember me, do you Nathan?" That voice. He smiled as recognition washed over him.

"Actually, I do. Haley James. We went to the same high school in Tree Hill, and you were best friends with Lucas."

She looked back at him with her arms folded in front of her.

"Well, I am surprised. Well done. I honestly didn't think you'd remember me, since we had very little to do with each other." She paused and looked down at her feet before continuing "Not to mention you were preoccupied with every cheerleader within a 100 mile radius of our school." She looked back at him, smiling, and he matched her look with his own patented smirk.

"Ah, so I _will_ forever be remembered as the skirt-chaser at Tree Hill High."

"You were, weren't you?" There was that smile of hers again.

"Oh come on now, Haley. You sound jealous that I never chased you in high school." He threw back playfully.

"Oh that's because I very rarely wore skirts".

"And why is that?"

"Because I didn't want to be chased by the likes of you". Bam! Thank you and goodnight.

Nathan laughed and nodded – a silent touché to her comments. "You're alright, Haley James."

* * *

"…and then I accepted an offer to study at UNC – Chapel Hill. I got my Masters in Human Movement Science, and as it turns out, most of the cases I work on now are professional sport injuries, but I'm only now just starting to work with Dr Perry's team at the Bobcats.

I've worked more in football with Dr Anderson's team at the Panthers, and I have to admit, I was pretty sports-challenged throughout high school, but now I have a pretty good idea of the game. I love their mascot, "**Sir Purr**", she laughed, before continuing "and now I guess I have a pretty good opportunity to learn more about basketball, which is crazy seeing as how basketball obsessed Tree Hill was with the Ravens."

"Especially since your best friend Lucas played on our team."

"Exactly. I mean, I went to the games. I got dragged along by Mouth, Skills and the rest of the guys, and I distinctly remember seeing Luke in his number 3 jersey, but…"

"You still didn't understand the game, right?"

They both laughed at this point, and Haley took another sip of her drink. "I could see you guys moving on the court, but I'll be damned if I understood half the rules. At least I knew when we won."

"Well, there is that."

"Shut up. I'm getting better, I swear." Haley looked down at her watch, realizing that time was getting away from them. "C'mon, we should probably get started."

"OK, so how much of Dr Perry's prognosis did you listen to?"

"What makes you think I wasn't listening to all of it? Anything that has to do with my career is very much on the forefront of my mind."

Haley stood there with a hand on her hip, her eyes narrowing and small smile playing on her lips.

"OK, so maybe I didn't listen to anything except "We can probably have you playing by the training camp for next season." Bore me with the gory details, then."

Haley grabbed the large envelope containing the x-rays and medical reports and came to sit by Nathan, spreading the documents out on his large coffee table.

"So here's Dr Perry's report following the pre-surgery MRI. He goes into detail about the surgery involving the removal of a long portion of the patellar tendon, and then the graft is surgically attached to the tibia at one end and the femur at the other and essentially replaces the damaged ligament." At this point, Nathan once tuned out the explanation, but instead of his mind wandering about useless scenarios in the future, he found his focus was solely on Haley. He looked at her in wonder – mainly how he failed to notice her in high school.

"Nathan? Nathan, are you OK?"

"Huh?"

"You just looked like you were tuning out there."

"Yeah I was, sorry. Anyway, so aside from all of the medical jargon, what does all of this mean for us?"

"For us?"

"Yeah, I mean, what does it involve for the therapy? How many times a week are we going to do it, and where will we do it?"

Haley couldn't help but laugh at his questions – they sounded suggestive coming from Nathan.

"What are you laughing at Haley?"

"I'm sorry Nathan. It's just when you asked how many times a week we would do it, and where, it sounded really x-rated!" she laughed again as she leaned back against the sofa.

Nathan took a moment to regard her and think about his comments, before joining in with her laughter. "Sorry Hales, I didn't mean for it to sound dirty. I'm just really keen to get back on the court, and I guess I wasn't thinking."

"It's not a problem Nathan. It's me. For a split second, I reverted back to my teenage years – normally I would not have laughed at that. But for some reason..."

They looked at each other for a split second before Haley broke away and started gathering up the medical reports.

"I'm going to get your schedule fixed, and it will clearly highlight how many sessions a week you need, and where they will take place. Some of the equipment will need to be used at the hospital, but looking at the pool in your yard, you can do a lot of hydrotherapy here, as well as some of the other non-mechanical exercises in your home gym."

"Weird."

"What's weird, Nathan."

"Just..I don't know. I remember you as a bookworm in high school, and I was sure you were going to be an English teacher or something. And here you are, overseeing my rehab so hopefully I can get back into the NBA."

"Mmm, it is a little weird, I guess, but in a good way. I always pictured you as a rising NBA star, so you haven't failed to deliver on that."

"I'm not playing at the moment."

"Yeah, but with my help, we'll get you back there as quick as we can. I promise."

They both stared at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement. Haley looked backed down at her reports, but Nathan continued to look at her and take in her movements.

Something else was about to happen with them, and very shortly they would be aware of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again for reading and submitting update alerts. Sorry if you were all alerted to Chapter 2 again – I had to re-post it after noticing a small glitch which has now been fixed. Also, apologies for any delays in updates over the next few weeks – I'm in the middle of moving (internationally), so it's pretty time consuming…

* * *

After returning to the hospital, reading post-op reports, and examining Nathan's x-rays, Haley set about creating Nathan's rehabilitation schedule. As she prepared the schedule, she kept in mind Nathan's eagerness to return to basketball. He wasn't the first athlete she had treated who wanted to be back in the thick of things immediately, but in almost every instance, common sense prevailed, and those athletes developed patience and understanding and came back even stronger than before. Haley could only hope the same for Nathan.

After leaving his place yesterday, Haley was able to tell him that the first two weeks would mainly involve icing and elevating his knee as much as possible. She also gave him a pair of socks to wear to help with the swelling. He didn't take too kindly to the socks, mumbling something unintelligible under his breath, but he took them nonetheless. She laughed to herself at the memory – here was this big rising NBA star, and he was acting just like the high school jock she remembered.

Collecting the report from the printer, she paid a quick visit to Dr Perry for any further recommendations before heading over to Nathan's house.

"Dr Perry?"

"Hi Haley, come in. Take a seat. I won't be a minute." Dr Perry finished typing his email before hitting send, and turning his full attention to her. "What can I do for you, Haley?"

"I was just finishing the rehab schedule for Nathan Scott, and I wanted to get your feedback before visiting him today and outlining the next few months."

"OK. Well, as you know, I've assigned this case to you because you're the best therapist I have, and the Bobcats have made it clear they want nothing but the best for Scott's comeback. I've reviewed the schedule you emailed me earlier, and as usual, you've put together an almost perfect plan."

"Thank you Dr Perry, I appreciate your support."

"What I would like to ensure is that you can attend to this case on an almost full-time basis. Delegate your other patients, if need be, but make sure you are in contact with Scott almost daily. I will need to report back to the team management about Scott's progress on a weekly basis."

"Sure, I'll have Carla help me with the workload if need be. Shall I schedule an appointment with you and Nathan for next week, so you can also assess his knee?"

"That would be great. We'll follow that up with a report to the team, and I would like you to be involved in some of the weekly meetings I have with the Bobcats as well. I believe their athletic director would like to coordinate some of the rehab exercises with you as well."

"No problem. I'll get on to it straight away." Haley started to get up from her chair before adding "Oh by the way. Did you know that I went to high school with Nathan?"

"No I did not. Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate the friendly face helping him through this."

"Yeah, I hope so." With that, Haley headed out of Dr Perry's office and out to her car.

* * *

Nathan sat on his sofa, scratching at the anti-swelling socks Haley left yesterday. It was driving him crazy, but he knew he had to keep them on. As well as trying to avoid scratching, he had a coldpack brace on his knee, checking his watch every minute until 20 minutes had passed, and he could remove the brace. Leaning back into the sofa, he replayed Haley's visit yesterday.

It was such a surprise to see her and find out that she was his therapist. She was, literally, the last person he would have expected, but he found himself growing more and more grateful for the situation. Haley was right, though, yesterday, when she said they had very little to do with each other in high school. They ran in different circles at school, and the only thing they had in common was Lucas, although that in itself was a late development in high school.

Nathan and Lucas were both sons of Dan Scott, but they were half brothers and were raised separately with much animosity. Lucas had earned a spot in the Ravens squad, and although he and Nathan remained strangers for most of the time, they finally dropped any hostility in their senior year to help Coach Durham win the much coveted state championship. They didn't hang out or spend time together, but there was enough civility between them to call a truce. It wasn't until they both went to Duke that they finally became friends…and brothers. What was unexpected, however, was the loss of contact Lucas and Haley had during college. Even stranger was the fact that they were geographically close in terms of colleges, but their contact with each other dropped off. There was no fighting or tension, just a friendship that had changed course over the years. They spoke on birthdays and on the holidays, but with Haley's parents now travelling across the country in their RV, Haley used her vacations to visit with them wherever they were.

It was a type of friendship initially that Nathan was jealous of. He couldn't classify Tim, Fedec, Vegas or any of the other guys at THHS in that regard, so when he saw Lucas and Haley's friendship change during college, it was a big deal.

Looking down at his watch, Nathan realised that Haley was due at his house shortly, and he slowly made his way off the sofa and went about cleaning up.

* * *

Haley made her way to the front door and knocked a few times before pressing the door bell. She only had to wait a few moments before Nathan greeted her at the door. They exchanged "hellos" and she made her way to the same spot on the sofa she occupied yesterday.

"So Nathan, how are you feeling today? How's the knee doing?"

"So far, so good. I'm enjoying this part of this rehab – just sitting here with my leg up. Not very strenuous. So, will the rest of the rehab be this easy?" he smiled at her before turning on his crutches and heading into the kitchen.

"You have about two weeks of this Nathan, so I hope you can cope with that?" she called out after his retreating form.

"Sure, I can cope with most things. I can add this to the list. Haley, do you want a drink?"

"Yes please, but I can come in there and get it. You come back out here and elevate your leg please."

"I never knew you were so bossy". He was right near here, proffering a glass of soda over her shoulder. She turned quickly to accept it, and then placed it on the coffee table, readying the paperwork for the current visit.

Nathan took a seat on the neighbouring sofa, drink in hand, and looked at her stack of papers.

"So what have we got here?"

"OK, so I've prepared your schedule. There's a comprehensive plan for the first eight weeks, which are divided into phases, then there's a general plan for the months following. All in all, I've set out a guide for the next six months, but obviously we can change it according to your progress."

Haley took out an A3-sized sheet, together with a ring binder full of information, and set them out in front of Nathan.

"So, you ready to go over this?"

"Hit me – what have you got in store for me?"

Just as Haley was about to launch into the schedule, they both turned in the direction of the front door when they heard it open and close.

"Hey, Nate? Are you in here? I saw a car out the front and wasn't sure if you were having therapy – " Lucas stopped dead in his tracks when he walked into the living room and saw Nathan sitting with a very familiar looking woman. "Hales?"

Haley's face dropped for a moment, but soon broke out into one of the widest smiles she'd ever given. "Oh my God, Luke? What the heck? Come here you!" Luke was over in a few short strides and they were in a tight, warm embrace that seemed to last for ages.

Lucas turned to Nathan with a pissed off look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me Haley was your therapist? We spoke on the phone yesterday after your first session."

"Yeah, well you didn't end up coming over yesterday like you said you would, so…I knew you were coming over today and I didn't want to ruin the surprise." Nathan ducked out of the way when Lucas tried to swat him in the head.

"You suck, man."

Haley watched the two exchange pleasantries with a wide smile on her face. "I can't believe you're here, Luke. So are you going to stay for this? I was just about to explain the rehab schedule to Nathan. You might want to get a copy that way you can kick Nathan's ass if you see him slack off."

Lucas took a seat by Haley and dove straight into the paperwork, trying to make sense of it all. Haley snatched the papers back, their banter not changing one bit since their high school days. It was falling into place like old times.

"So guys, let me give you the schedule. I actually need to get this done shortly, because I have appointments at the hospital. Sorry."

They all turned to the paperwork as Haley began "So, Nathan, as I explained the next two weeks are about reducing the swelling in the knee. This is the easy part. Just keep icing and elevating, and keep off your feet. I'm serious, though. If you screw up the next two weeks, you screw up your comeback, OK?

Nathan saw the serious look on her face, and nodded as Lucas looked on.

"You need to come to the hospital and meet with Dr Perry so he can also assess the swelling – we'll schedule that for next week – and you need to use the crutches as much as possible. In two weeks, you should be able to move your knee from full extension to ninety degrees of flexion. Then the fun part starts."

"Oh yeah, what type of fun?"

"Exercises. We'll go through them once your two weeks are up, but these will need to be done almost every hour that you're awake OK?"

"So what will the exercises entail?"

"We'll worry about them in more detail later, but they'll be things like knee extensions, and exercises for your quad muscles. There's also a heel slide exercise which we'll do in bed later."

Upon hearing those last words, Haley's face went flush red, and she looked sheepishly between Lucas and Nathan, both of whom were trying very hard to stifle a laugh.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong. Well, actually, technically it's not wrong, but it sounds it. Gah, twenty-four hours in the presence of the Scott Brothers and I'm officially back in high school. I hate you both." She laughed, before burying her head in her hands.

Lucas and Nathan finally released their built up laughter and Lucas playfully poked Haley in her arm. "You haven't changed one bit, Haley. I'm glad to see that." He said before giving her a hug.

"OK you two, I'm done here. I have to head back to the hospital and treat grown up, mature patients."

"Don't go Haley, you were just getting to the good part of my rehab. I want to hear more about those exercises we'll be doing in bed every hour!" Nathan smirked at her before giving Lucas one their nauseating brotherly fist bumps.

"Ha ha, boys, laugh it up. It wasn't even that funny. Right, I'm leaving now. I will see you tomorrow to check on your knee. Keep those socks on, mister!" With that, Haley gathered her things before heading out the front door.

Nathan and Lucas were left in the living room still laughing at the re-emergence of babbling, rambling, high school Haley James.

_**xx**_


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone. Thanks again for submitting a review and/or adding an update alert on this story. I appreciate the feedback and support. Here's the next chapter:

* * *

Haley prayed her visit to Nathan today wouldn't expose any further evidence of "foot _in_ mouth" disease. Yesterday was embarrassing enough. She looked at her watch and saw that she was on time. She could, however, only spare an hour for this visit before having to return to the hospital. An hour. For some reason, that didn't seem like long enough to her, but she couldn't figure out why.

Gathering her bag and paperwork from the passenger seat, she got out of her car and walked to the front door. She knocked a few times before turning away slightly to take in the well maintained gardens.

"Hey Haley, come on in."

"Hi Nathan, how are you?"

"Good…I'm using the crutches, see?"

Haley smiled a little at that, following him into the living room.

"How are the ice brace and those trendy socks working for you?"

"Cold and itchy, thanks."

They both assumed their new, but usual, positions on the sofa. Haley pulled his file out and scanned the schedule.

"So, there's nothing new I can really shed light on today. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't experiencing increased pain, or tightness in your leg. You've only got another week and a half before you can dispense with the crutches, and get moving on to some of exercises that are really going to make a difference."

"Like the one we get to do in bed?" he couldn't help but smirk at her uneasiness when she heard his question.

"Yes Nathan, like the one _you_ get to do _on_ the bed." She shook her head at him, but smiled briefly. He knew then that the joke was now officially played out.

"So you mentioned something out an appointment with Dr Perry soon? When do you think that will be?"

"Well I spoke to Dr Perry, and he wants to meet with you and team management the day after tomorrow. I know he's head of your team's medical staff, and they've been kept apprised of your surgery, so it's been monitored closely. I'm also in contact with your athletic director to map out Phase Two of your rehab schedule. Once the brace is off, you'll be able to do part of your rehab at the team's gym."

Nathan took in the information, and felt relieved a little at being able to go back and join the team. It would mean one step closer to playing.

"So Phase Two, as you call it…how intense is that going to be? I saw the copy of the schedule you left yesterday, but I just want to hear it from you – is there any chance the length of recovery can be reduced? I just…I gotta get back on the team and play." He looked down, and for once, Haley could see just how much this meant to him. Yesterday's meeting was a much lighter affair, most probably due to the presence of Lucas, but today, with his guard down, Nathan looked a little defeated.

"Nathan, is everything OK? I mean, apart from the obvious, is there anything you want to talk about?" Haley moved over slightly on the sofa, so that she closed the distance between them.

He looked at her for a moment, before looking back down. "No…everything's fine. Just keen to play again, I guess."

"Listen, Nathan, I know I'm "only" your therapist, and I know we weren't best friends or anything in high school, but you do know that I'm here to listen. If there is anything, and I mean anything, that you want to talk about, I'm here OK?

Nathan resituated himself on the sofa, allowing better elevation for his knee. He then looked at Haley as though he were about to open up to her.

"I…look, don't worry, I don't have any deep, dark secrets, but… I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm just a guy who's been desperate to play in the NBA his whole life, and it's come and gone in the blink of an eye. I just want to get back out there and play."

In the background, his home phone started ringing.

"Do you need to get that?" Haley asked.

"No, I'll let the machine pick it up."

"_Hey Nathan, it's Rachel. I've been trying to reach you since your accident. I just wanted to see if you wanted some company…maybe a private nurse? I could give you my own special sexy sponge bath"_ She giggled before continuing _"Anyway, it's been a while since we last…y'know, so call me sometime, OK? You've got my number."_

Nathan watched Haley as the message played. As soon as Rachel had started talking, Haley had occupied herself with the other files she was carrying. She was writing notes and checking her BlackBerry, looking as though she was packing up to leave. At Rachel's mention of the sponge bath, Haley raised her eyebrows and smirked a little. _He's still a skirt chaser._ When the message finished, she scooped up the paperwork and sat them in her lap.

"Haley, listen, that message – "

"Nathan, you don't have to explain anything, OK? You have a right to a private life. Might be nice for you to surround yourself with other familiar faces besides team management and medical staff from the hospital."

"Are you including yourself in that list?"

Haley paused for a moment, "Yeah, probably. The last thing you want to do is cocoon yourself away here. In a few days, you're going to be back in the training room with the team, and to balance that out, you need to re-ignite your social life. However –" she pointed to him with her pen, "social life does not include alcohol or drugs – except for whatever Dr Perry has prescribed for you – and I would be a little careful about those "sponge baths" Rachel, is it? – has in mind for you...and also what would usually follow those sponge baths, if you get my drift."

"I'm not taking her up on her offer. She's just someone I dated for about five minutes, and who now doesn't take a hint."

"Nathan, I told you, you don't have to explain anything to me. I'm here to help with your rehab, not judge your private life. You can do whatever it is you do, but it's going to be quite restrictive for a while…unless you're a little creative." She smiled at him as she collected her things and started for the door. "I won't be around tomorrow, so give yourself a relaxing day, but I'll see you the day after at your team's offices. Dr Perry's office will call tomorrow with the details."

They both headed towards the front door, exchanging good-byes. Once the door was shut, they both leaned back against the door, unaware the other was the doing the same, and let out a sigh at the cold bucket of water that was Rachel's phone call.

After a beat, Nathan made his way over to the answering machine, immediately hitting delete, while Haley took one look back at Nathan's house before driving off.

* * *

Nathan's "day off" passed with very little fanfare. He spent most of his morning in his home gym, lifting weights while sitting on weight bench. Usually, in a pissed off mood like he was experiencing now, he would overdo the weights until his arms felt dead. He usually wanted to go beyond "no pain, no gain", and lift until all his frustration and aggravation left his body. What almost always happened was hours later, he would feel even more frustrated and aggravated by the pull and pain of his aching muscles, and so the cycle would continue. He would shower, rest a while, and then start all over again.

But not today.

He wanted back on the team as soon as possible, and Haley's words of advice were reverberating in his head. _If you screw up the next two weeks, you screw up your comeback._ For once in his life, he was going to take someone's advice and play this out the right way. It didn't hurt of course, that the advice was coming from his extremely attractive therapist, and fellow THHS student, Haley James. He wasn't so sure he'd be listening if it had come direct from Dr Perry.

* * *

The following morning, Lucas arrived at Nathan's to take him to the meeting with Dr Perry and team management. They sat in relative silence along the way, before Lucas tried to start a conversation.

"So…pretty wild that Haley's your therapist, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Have you guys caught up much about the good ol' days at Tree Hill High School?"

"What good ol' days, Luke? You were best friends with her, not me." Nathan rested his chin on his fist as he leaned against the window.

Lucas sat there, hands in his lap as he tried to think of something else to say.

"So how have the visits with her gone, then? What does she think so far?"

Nathan kept looking out of the window as he replied, "So far, so good, I guess. She thinks the swelling is reducing quicker than anticipated, and that I should be back in the team gym soon."

"That's good news, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just want it to be over with already. It's been barely a week since the surgery, and…I dunno. You know I'm not a very patient person, Luke. Haley comes around and there's not much she can tell me which is different to the previous day, y'know? "

"Maybe the process will feel different once the swelling goes, and you start to do the recovery work."

"Yeah, I suppose. From what Haley says, though, most of that will be done with the athletic director, not her." Nathan said somewhat pissed at the prospect.

"Does it matter, man? I mean…" Lucas stopped dead in tracks and he formed a wry smile as Nathan kept looking away. "Nathan, are you crushing on Haley?" he laughed

"What? Don't be fucking stupid, Luke." _Yes,_ he inwardly admitted to himself. "I hate dealing with a million people for something that can be done by one person. Take today for instance, we gotta meet with, like, ten people when who I should be reporting to is the GM. That's it.

"Nathan…all of these people we're meeting today are integral to you getting back on the court as quickly and as safely as possible. The GM's not the only one. You need to meet with the athletic director, and the team doctor – he performed your surgery for chrissakes, plus he has a medical team that are going to help you, Haley included." Lucas shook his head, as he looked out of his own window.

"Luke, I know all of that. You know I'm not a people person, and I don't move in large circles. When you landed me this contract, I dealt with you and the talent scout. Since being on the team, I surround myself with the core trainers and the coach, and that's it. I shut everything and everyone else out. It's superfluous."

"Wow, Nate. That's a huge fucking word. Sure you meant to use it?" Lucas teased.

"Fuck you, Luke."

They sat in silence again before Nathan spoke.

"Rachel called again. I let the machine pick up."

"One guess as to what she's after."

"Haley was there when she left the message. She was about as subtle as a brick in her message. I'm sure Haley thought it was typical of me to receive those calls."

"So, what do you care? You don't like her."

"Who? Haley or Rachel?"

"You tell me." Lucas laughed again, as Nathan reached over and punched him in the arm.

"Fuck you, Luke."

* * *

The meeting at the Bobcats Executive Offices, in the same development as their arena, lasted a little over ninety minutes. The medical team consisted of Dr Perry, Haley and the Head Athletic Trainer, Steve Sticker. Opposite them sat Nathan, Lucas, Larry Brown and Rod Higgins, the General Manager.

Dr Perry gave an informative report on the surgical procedure, as well as an in-depth report on post-op procedures. Essentially, it was a regurgitation of the report he had sent the team immediately following the surgery. As the ACL injury was quite common in sport, there were not too many questions being asked by the attendees.

There was lots of informal back and forth chatter about estimated return to playing dates, and those were fielded by both Dr Perry and Haley. Nathan only paid attention when Haley spoke. This was not lost on Lucas, either. He would turn and look at Nathan every so often, so gauge his reaction to something that had been sent, and instead all he saw was Nathan glancing Haley's way, without her knowledge. When she spoke, Nathan sat more upright in his chair, and his eyes were firmly planted on her. Even when she spoke for the merest of moments. Lucas went from smirking to slightly concerned as he witnessed his brother, and what it might mean for his rehab.

Nathan watched Haley intently as she offered her opinion on various aspects of the rehab, and spoke in depth with Steve. He could tell she was recommending everything that would ensure a timely return for him, and appreciated it more than she could ever know. As the meeting wrapped up, Nathan got up as quickly as he could with his crutches, and made his way over to Haley.

"Thank you for what you said in the meeting."

"It's no problem, Nathan. Believe it or not, it's my job to see you get back on the team." she smiled at him, and he was starting to believe it was truly the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"I know we're not scheduled to meet up again for another two days, but I remembered that I have some plans that day. Don't worry, nothing sinister, just my mom coming to visit, but I was hoping we could meet later in the afternoon?"

"Umm, I'll have to check my diary, but I think that'll be OK. Can I call you later today or tomorrow morning and confirm?" she placed the strap of her bag over her shoulder, as she waved goodbye to the exiting team managers.

"Listen, if we make it around 5pm or so, I'll even spring for dinner. How does that sound?" he added, suddenly feeling like a nervous teenager.

Haley was suddenly still at that last offer. Dinner. She didn't know if Nathan could see the warm blush she was feeling. She didn't want to read too much into the offer, but liked the sound of it at any rate.

"You know what? That sounds great. I will definitely call and let you know."

With that, she turned and left the meeting room, catching up to Lucas for a quick chat. Nathan watched her walk out of the room, and was left grinning like a Cheshire cat.

_**xx**_


	5. Chapter 5

You know it's sad when you write a story for FF, and 5 chapters is the longest you have ever written! Thanks again for all of your comments, feedback and alerts.

So here we go, Chapter 5, which is 100% Naley.

* * *

4.59pm, _where the hell was she?_ Nathan was moving from the kitchen to the living room on his crutches, back and forth, checking the clocks in both rooms to make sure they were accurate. He ran his fingers through his hair and checked his clothes. He didn't want to look like he'd dressed up for a date, but he also didn't want to look like the person he had been while at home recently; in tardy, dirty gray sweatpants, and an old college t-shirt that should, by law, be set on fire for the heinous odour it emitted. In the end, he settled for his cargo shorts and a polo t-shirt. _There, nice and normal_, he muttered to no-one in particular.

At that moment, he heard the doorbell, and checked the clock: 5.02pm_, she's late!_ He hated himself for thinking that, but he wanted to make sure not a minute was wasted, and he was already down by two. Loser.

He greeted Haley warmly, and ushered her in, as if it were a race. Haley was taken aback slightly as he seemed to move her in quickly. She had come straight from the hospital, and had not had a chance to change clothes. _It's not a date, Haley_, she reminded herself.

"So how was your visit with your Mother?"

"Good. The usual. She came over, fussed around, updated me on everything happen in Tree Hill and then left."

"Wow, that was quick."

"Ah no, it actually took about five hours. Mostly the Tree Hill update."

"Is she driving back to Tree Hill now? That's four hours away, Nathan!" Haley stated, looking a little worried.

"She's fine. She's driving to Laurinburg tonight. One of her friends from college lives there or something. She's staying the night and then she'll drive the rest of the way tomorrow." He laughed at her concern, assuming it came naturally as part of her job.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across like that. I just know what the drive is like between here and Tree Hill, and I'm glad I don't have to commute very often."

Nathan guided her through the kitchen and over to a small seating area which was partially bordered by floor to ceiling windows. The view outside overlooked Nathan's pool and outdoor entertainment area, which was lit with small tea lights and glowed in the setting sun.

"You have a really lovely home, Nathan. It must be lovely to come home to this and take in this view."

"Yeah, I moved in during the off-season. Can you believe I have my mom to thank for finding it? I didn't have much spare time, with the training camps and everything, so she hired a realtor for me, and together they went through the listings, and this was on the short list."

"How many homes were on the short list?"

"About twelve." They both laughed at that before Nathan went to the small bar that Lucas had moved after the surgery.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Yeah, sure. Nothing heavy for me though, I'm driving."

Nathan mixed soda and bitters and took a beer for himself. He sat opposite her, and they both looked outside again.

"So the first day you came over, you caught me up a little on what happened to you after high school. I have to say, Haley, I'm a little surprised you and Lucas lost touch. Our colleges were only thirty minutes away." Nathan glanced up at her after making his comment and gauged her reaction.

"You probably know that I didn't start off at Chapel Hill. I kind of had idealised dreams of staying at the same school the whole way through, and the best physiotherapy schools I read about were on the West Coast. I got into USC, but transferred to Chapel Hill after a while. During my time in California, I lost touch with Lucas, so when I got to Chapel Hill it kind of felt like it was too late or something."

Haley looked down at her drink, and then back out to the view before continuing, "I did try and call him though, but his number must have changed, and then I heard through the grapevine that he had transferred schools as well, so I never knew what happened."

Nathan nodded slowly in understanding. He took a sip of his beer and filled in some of the blanks for Haley.

"He took some time out when he got sick. His HCM started affecting him – nothing overly major – but he took leave of absence to get it treated properly. He couldn't get back into his course at Duke, but was able to transfer over to Wake. Just as we get our shit together and started to get along, he ends up over at Wake. We still visited and everything, but with my playing schedule, it was hard to catch up sometimes. We would travel back to Tree Hill for the holidays – I'd hitch a ride with him, and we'd catch up with the family. I usually had playing camps during part of the summers, but we usually managed a trip together to Cabo or wherever."

They both smiled at each other for a moment, taking in the information. In hindsight, it could have been so easy to stay in touch, but in reality it seemed overwhelming at times.

"So you never went back to Tree Hill?"

"No, after high school, my parents sold up. I'm the youngest of six kids, and I think my parents were counting down the minutes until I graduated. They bought an RV and headed off on some belated 60s hippy trip across the country. My family is spread out all over the place, so I think my parents enjoyed the excuse to go travelling. I look at some of the other people went to school with, Peyton went down to Savannah, and heck, even Brooke headed off to New York, so there wasn't much drawing me back to Tree Hill. Even Skills, Mouth, Junk and Fergie all left, so I didn't really have anyone left."

"Even Tim left Tree Hill."

"Tim Smith? Oh my God, I almost forgot about him. He was like your shadow, wasn't he?" Haley laughed.

"Yeah, I guess. He ended up at Greensboro."

"Really? He graduated UNC. Fancy that."

"Uh-uh. I didn't say he graduated."

It felt awful to smile at that, but Haley couldn't help it. Tim Smith was one of _those_ guys in high school. He was harmless enough, and also unintentionally hilarious. It was safe to assume that he wouldn't end up a brain surgeon or astronaut, even though everyone thought he was a space cadet.

"So, as much as we should continue catching up, how do you feel about an early dinner?" Nathan offered.

"Sure, where are we going?"

"Nowhere. I called in a favour from Mom on her way here. She stopped by one of my favourite places in Charlotte and picked up a few things. All we have to do is heat it up."

"Nice. Your Mom is an angel for doing that."

"Mmm, angel isn't the word I'd use, but OK." Nathan shrugged as he made his way back to the kitchen and placed the food in the oven.

* * *

Over the course of dinner, Nathan and Haley were able to piece together further gaps in time between high school and the present. They compared notes on college experiences, room-mates, classes and professors. Nathan teased Haley for not getting into the spirit of college basketball – she was supposed to be a Tarheel, after all – and also teased her for not realising Michael Jordan was a former UNC alumnus. Actually, she did know that, but only after a few months following her transfer.

All talk of college basketball begged the question from the Nathan: "Did you go to the games when we played at Chapel Hill?"

"Honestly? I saw one game that you were in. I was in the nosebleed section, and probably the last spectator in. Friend of a friend type ticket situation, and rare as hen's teeth, apparently."

"Oh yeah, which game was that? What did we win by?"

"Ah, not so fast, Hotshot. Tarheels won 76-68." She winked at him slyly.

"Crap, _that_ game."

"Yes, that game. I got some strange looks when your name was announced. I think I clapped too much or something, and everyone around me must have assumed I was supporting Duke…which I would never do" she mocked. "It was a great game, but I was half expecting to see Lucas. Not playing, of course, but on the supporters' bus or something."

"Yeah, that game was around the time he took a leave of absence. He initially joined Karen and Keith down in Charleston, so even I didn't get to see him for a while."

"So, changing the subject, and not to sound like I'm fishing for information, but who is this Rachel person, and why does she want to give you a sponge bath?"

"Actually, you know her. Remember Rachel Gattina?" Haley nodded. "One and the same."

"Oh, really? I don't remember you guys dating in high school, but then again, Rachel never dated, she just slept around." Haley realised her faux pas, and quickly covered her mouth. "Oh Nathan. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. That was really rude of me, I apologise."

Nathan chuckled to himself as he saw Haley's face flush with embarrassment. "Don't worry about it. You're not far from the truth. We hooked up once at some graduation party, and that was the last of it, or so I thought. Then, as I'm starting with the Bobcats, she shows up in Charlotte. We went out a couple of times, but God she is so dull and vapid. After the last time, I thought I had gotten the message through to her that it was time to move on, but obviously not."

"Ah yes, the infamous miscommunication conversation. I'm assuming from that phone message the other day, she thinks you guys are very much on. If she hasn't changed much from high school, then I don't even think avoidance is going to get the message through." Haley then sing-songed, "You're gonna have to talk to her, you're gonna have to talk to her."

"Thanks very much for the support, Hales". _Hales_. Nobody had called her that in a while.

"You're very welcome."

"Well then, what about you? How's your love life been?" he asked, using finger quotes around the words "love life".

"Oh pretty much non-existent. I dated a little bit in college, but nothing remotely serious. I guess I was always busy with my head in my books – shock, horror! After graduating, I stayed on for a little doing some prac work with the Athletics Department, but then the position at Presbyterian Hospital came up, and the next think I know, I'm here in Charlotte. I've had a few blind dates, one of whom I ending up seeing for about six months, but we broke up when he decided he wanted to date his co-worker. I wasn't even saddened by that. Isn't that horrible?"

"No, not if you weren't into the guy. But then again, I've never been in a relationship that lasted longer than two months, so what would I know?

"God, we are a sad pair, aren't we?" Haley laughed.

"I don't think so. Looks like we've just prioritised our careers over our personal lives. We aren't the first people to do that, and we certainly won't be the last."

"My, my, aren't you the philosopher? Where does this wisdom come from?"

"Probably all the spare time I have by not having a personal life. I don't know. I guess I just don't trust a lot of people. You can tell very quickly when someone wants to be with you because of what you do for a living, and not who you are when you're away from it all."

"Nathan, can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"You never struck me as the type of guy looking for a meaningful relationship. I mean, yeah, who would want something serious in high school, but I just thought you were the type of guy who would never want to be tied down."

"You're right, you only knew the high school "me". A lot of things changed for me once Luke and I started getting along, more so in college. He helped me see things differently, mainly our relationship with Dan. In some ways, I had a broader perspective on things, and in others, I became a bit more guarded."

"You know, some of the local tabloids have you linked to a multitude of women, some of them are even famous. Your teammates must love that."

"Ninety-nine percent of what you read is rubbish. I don't even know who some of them are, let alone met them. What's even funnier is that I think Rachel thought being associated with me would bring her some kind of fame, and not once has she been mentioned in those tabloids. I think she's trying to reconnect again, so she looks like a helpful "girlfriend" during my rehab. I don't want or need people like that in my life. I'd rather be alone."

Haley watched as Nathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his last statement hitting a nerve of his own.

"Are you OK Nathan? Any pain in your leg?" Haley got up and moved to sit beside Nathan, her hands gently removing the brace he was wearing. He flinched slightly, but not in pain. Having her near him, especially after his mini-rant about relationships, he felt his breath catch slightly. In that precise moment, he wanted to kiss her desperately.

"No, no pain. Just a little stiffness, but it's OK." He laughed to himself at his reply. If she only knew the thoughts he was starting to have.

"I think you need to put some ice on it, Nathan."

"Excuse me?"

"Ice. For your knee. Why don't you come over here and we'll get it properly elevated. We'll put the ice-brace in the freezer for a while before it goes back on. I'm really impressed with how quickly your progressing, and I think you're only a day or two away from doing some hydrotherapy, some of which you can do in your own pool."

Nathan was taken aback at quickly the tone and topic of conversation had turned. He felt like he had missed an opportunity to take things forward with Haley.

"Listen Nathan, I'm sorry. I come over here and we've spent basically the whole time talking about things _other_ than your rehab program, and now I've spent five minutes on it and it's getting late."

"No, don't be sorry. It's been great catching up. It makes a nice change to talk about other things than the knee." He paused, looked away, and then turned to look directly at her, "There's still a lot to catch up on. Maybe we could do this again…soon?"

Haley wanted to avert his eyes. She could have sworn the intensity in them was piercing right through her. Again, she felt the warmth rushing to her face, and hoped to God that Nathan couldn't see it.

"Umm, sure. I'll give you another day off tomorrow, but maybe we can catch up the day after? We can start some exercises in your pool."

They both gave each other a small nod, before Haley left the room.

"Where are you going, are you leaving right now?" Nathan asked after her.

"In a minute. Your ice brace won't be ready yet, but here," she re-entered carrying a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a dishtowel, and threw them in his direction, "put this on for a few minutes. I'll be back in a moment."

Nathan caught the pack and placed it over his elevated knee, already thinking about the next "date". He smiled at the thought of her helping him in the pool, and what that might involve.

Haley made her way back in the room, and announced again that she needed to leave.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Nathan, it was lovely. Thank your mother for me, too."

They both headed for the front door, and Nathan held it open for her.

"So…ah…I'll see you back here the day after tomorrow for pool exercises, then?" he asked eagerly.

"That you will. Don't worry, I'll bring over everything we need, including some food."

"You don't have to do that."

"Come on, you provided the meal this time. I think I can rustle up a few things that might resemble a meal."

"OK, you're on."

Again, they both stared at each other, while they hovered by the door. It seemed like an eternity has passed before Haley spoke, "Well, I'd better be going. Thanks again, and get plenty of rest". Before he knew it, Haley had raised up on her toes, and planted a small, but firm kiss on his cheek, bracing herself by placing a hand on his shoulder. Before Nathan could process it all, she was back down on her heels and turning towards her car.

"Good night, Nathan."

"Good night, Hales."

She turned to wave, and saw him standing there with a cute, but goofy grin on his face.

Both had considered the night a resounding success.

_**xx**_


	6. Chapter 6

I am so lame. I got so excited when the review numbers hit double digits! Seriously, small things like that make me happy. What can I say? I'm easy to please.

BTW, don't feel obligated to leave a review – I will keep writing this story until it comes to its natural conclusion, but I do appreciate it when you decide to leave your thoughts.

Just a couple of replies to those without accounts:

**Mazzy**: I love your question about Lucas's back story. As of today, I honestly don't know! I think with his storyline, it could evolve further as the story plays out. Let's wait and see.

**angel**: in a perfect world, I would love to include everyone. I think I will let this story unfold and see if/where the others will come in. You may have noticed cameo mentions of some of the characters in the last chapter.

OK, so here's the next chapter - this was a weak chapter for me, but I promise to make it up to y'all! xx

* * *

As innocent as the action was, kissing Nathan on the cheek was the last thing Haley thought she would do. It was such a small gesture, but she had replayed it over and over on the drive home, and on her way to work the next morning. She was now sitting in her office, staring at her computer screen, playing out a version where Nathan returned the kiss, _deeply_, before dragging her into his home for "bed exercises", when a voice shook her out of her reverie.

"Haley? Sorry to bother you…", it was Carly, one of her department colleagues at the hospital.

"Hmm? Oh hi Carly, how are you? Sorry, I was just working on a case. What can I do for you?"

"There's somebody here to see you. Somebody "Scott". I'm sorry, I didn't get his first name."

Haley sat bolt upright, and straightened up her desk, and her clothes. _Ohmygod_, she thought, _Nathan is here_.

"No problem, send him in please." She thought she may have sounded too eager then, but she didn't care. She wasn't expecting to see him today, as they were going to meet tomorrow for another therapy session, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Hey, Hales. Got some time for a patient?"

"Luke? What are you doing here?"

"Didn't they tell you I was here?"

"Yeah, kind of. They just said it was "Somebody Scott". I should have known it would be you." She laughed, as she went to greet him with a warm hug.

"Who'd you think it'd be? Nathan?"

"Well yeah. My next session with him is tomorrow, but it wouldn't surprise me if he tried to change it for some unknown reason. Anway," she waved her had dismissively in front of her, "what can I do for you? And why did you say you were a patient? What's going on?"

"I was..uh…down the road at Dr Bailey's."

"Dr Bailey…I don't know Dr Bailey. Which department?"

"Cardiology."

"Oh."

"Oh? What does that mean?""

"Nathan kinda sorta told me about how your HCM affected you in college. You're not mad are you?"

"No. You already knew about my HCM in high school – it wasn't a secret. I just didn't know you knew about the college episode." They looked at each for a moment with a warm smile, before Lucas continued, "Anyway, I have six-monthly check-ups with Dr Bailey here at Presbyterian. He's keeping me out of trouble, don't worry."

"Good to know."

"So, anyway, I was just wondering if you were available for an early lunch? I have some free time before a 3pm conference call, and I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have lunch with today."

Haley stood with her hands on her hips, and a wry smile. She nodded her head, and walked back behind her desk, "Just let me turn off my computer, and I'll come and join you."

With that, she hooked her arm around his, as they walked out of the hospital to catch up some more.

* * *

"So how are things going with Nathan's rehab?" Lucas asked, as he took another bite of his lunch.

"Good. He's doing really well. Have you spoken to him lately?"

"Yeah, I mean we speak briefly every day. Mostly "hey tool, how's it going?" We usually catch up a couple times a week for dinner, but since I helped him home from the hospital, we haven't had much chance to catch up."

"How come?"

Lucas moved some food around on his plate with his fork, buying time.

"Luke? How come?"

"I'm not going to be working with Nathan much longer."

"Why? What's going on?" Haley sounded worried, and placed her hand on Lucas's forearm.

"I'm not going to be Nathan's agent much longer. I never took on the role as a full time job. It was always just a temporary thing, until we found him the right agent."

"Wow. How does Nathan feel about this?"

"He never thought I was serious about this being a temporary job. He always thought I'd stay his agent right through to the end of his career, I guess."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Well actually, I've been having a few meetings with literary agents. Some of them over the phone, but I've been up to New York a few times recently to meet with several of them."

"You're writing a book?"

"No, actually I've already written one. Do you remember I kept a sort of journal when we started high school?"

Haley nodded as Lucas continued explaining.

"Well, that's what's getting published. Y'know, I wrote about the high school experience, and when I got accepted to Duke, I kind of shelved it for the summer. When I started the first semester of Duke, I knew the story was far from finished, so I kept documenting my time in college; the time I had off due to the HCM; and then when I finished my English degree at Wake. I shopped it around a little bit after that, and I had some help from one of my English professors to get it into some kind of readable format, and then I put it back out there for several months. Someone's ready to take a chance with it now."

Haley sat and listened to Lucas recount the story, her eyes tearing up slightly out of pride for her dear friend. She leaned closer to him and gave him a long hug.

"I'm really proud of you, Luke. You deserve this opportunity."

"Thanks, Hales. That means a lot coming from you."

"So tell me, how much is about me; what did you write; and did you include that incident with me trying to sabotage the Cheerleaders' fundraiser with the goat, frozen yoghurt and jumper leads?"

They both laughed at the memory before finishing their lunch and heading back to the hospital.

* * *

"So?" Lucas was hovering in Haley's office, hands in pockets, debating his next move.

"So what?" Haley returned.

"This" he pointed back and forth between them "This has been good to catch up, hasn't it?"

"Luke, it's been the best. I'm just sorry we didn't have more time over lunch. Maybe we can do dinner or something soon? You haven't even told me about your love life!" she chided.

"Neither have you, but I'm suspecting it won't be long before you have news for me."

"Oh yeah, and what the hell does that mean?"

"Oh nothing. Just that there's no reason for you to be single."

"OK cupid, whatever you know, or have planned, just stop. Maybe I like being single."

"Yeah right, just as much as I do."

They shared an awkward look to match the awkward silence, before Lucas took a seat opposite Haley.

"Listen, I'm not playing with you. I don't know anything, and I'm not trying to set you up. I was just fishing – thought you might have some news to share."

"Well, I don't Luke. Sorry to disappoint. I'm just going through a busy patch with work, and that doesn't leave me much free time to socialise. Not to mention, I'm deliberating over whether or not to continue my studies for my doctorate, so…you know…free time will cease to exist if that's the case."

"And your savings. That'll probably cease to exist, right?" he smirked.

"Shut up…and yes, you're right." Haley sighed as she rested her chin on her fist.

Lucas saw the slightly defeated look on her face, and decided that now might be a good time to leave. He looked at his watch as he rose from his chair.

"So, Hales, I gotta get going. The conference call with New York will start soon, and I want to take this on a landline, rather than mobile – poor reception."

"Oh OK, I didn't realise the time. Thanks again for lunch Luke."

"Oh I was just about to thank you, seeing as you paid."

"Wait, what? I didn't pay, I thought you did?" she replied. Her face forming a slightly panicked look.

Lucas gave her a moment before he burst out laughing.

"Get outta here, you dork", with that Haley threw a small rubber ball, one of a dozen promotional items she received from medical companies, missing Lucas by mere millimetres.

"We'll talk soon, OK?"

"Sure. Thanks again for lunch, Luke."

"Anytime."

Haley watched as Lucas left, shaking her head at his attempt at humor, and began preparing for tomorrow's meeting with Nathan.

* * *

Haley was determined to shake off the thoughts she'd been having about Nathan. She convinced herself the innocent action from the other night was merely a kiss on the cheek from one friend to another, thanking them for dinner. Then Nathan opened the door, and Haley swore she had butterflies the size of Mothra in her stomach. Each time she saw him, he became less and less seen as Luke's brother, and more like someone she wanted to be with. Heart and head were having a great time arguing over this.

After some awkward small talk, Nathan led Haley outside to the pool area. At the far end there was an entertainment area with a masonry chimney-like BBQ and a sunken seating area strewn with Moroccan-inspired cushions, bordered with bolted poles draping fine printed material. It was the same area Haley could see the other night when they had dinner. It calmed her to watch the material blow gently in the breeze. She smiled to herself as she placed the bag of exercise equipment on one of the chaise lounges by the pool. _OK, Haley, let's do this let's be normal_, she told herself. She turned around and placed her hands on her hips.

"OK, Scott, let's see what all the fuss is about."

"Oh, really, that's how it's gonna be? You just want me to walk around half-naked."

"Well, unless you're prepared to do the pool exercises fully clothed?"

Nathan gave her one of his oh so sexy smirks, before quickly removing his shirt, leaving him standing before her in his board shorts and knee brace. His crutches were leaning against another chaise lounge, and his balance was a little off, bearing most of the weight onto his good leg.

Haley walked up to him and slowly bent down, resting one knee on the ground, as she assessed Nathan's knee. She slowly manipulated his knee, gauging current range of motion, before removing his brace. She walked over to her bags, and removed some foam flotation devices which would be strapped to certain areas of Nathan's body.

"OK, so here's the drill. Those bags are called "Aqua Packs" and contain various foam devices which you're going to wear while you do certain exercises in the pool. For instance," she started, walking right up to him and reaching around, "this is a pro buoyancy belt, which is going to help with vertical lift in the pool. It's great for core strengthening exercises, and will help keep you upright when both feet need to be off the pool floor."

Nathan looked down at Haley as her arms wrapped around him to place the belt. He could feel the warmth from her hands as she rubbed them over the Velcro to ensure it was properly fastened.

"So, how do I look? Hot, right?"

"Whatever works."

Removing more items from the pack, she continued. "These little things you may have guessed are foam dumb bells. These will help with balance when do arm exercises on the surface of the water. There's also a little mechanism which you can flip, and then fill them up, to add weight to the dumb bells and give greater resistance training. The main thing is the strap over one end, so you can slide your hands through and not have to grip. Helps avoid cramp."

Nathan took the dumb bells and slid the strap over. He flexed his hands around them, and then extended his arms, checking his movements. He spied Haley peeking occasionally, and knew somewhere, deep down, he must be having some sort of effect on her.

Haley removed the final items from the aqua pack, and squatted in front of Nathan. It gave him a nice few of her rear as he perched over her. He knew he would be busted if she looked up, but he couldn't help himself.

"OK, Nathan, here are the last two items. The first ones I'm putting on you are ankle cuffs. Again, they're foam, and they'll help with lower body workouts, as well as adding buoyancy. And finally, the pièce de résistance, these are very fashionable foam sandals, or aquarunners. While you have been elevating your knee, and not walking on that foot, you're losing a small amount of muscle tone and not placing weight on the arches of your foot. These are designed to keep your arches balanced, and you'll be able to wear them when you run on the water treadmill at the hospital."

"These look like old peoples' shoes, Hales. Like I should be having dinner at 4.30pm at a Denny's somewhere in Florida."

Haley laughed at Nathan's situation. After helping to place the foam exercise devices on his body, he stood there with his arms outstretched and dotted with blue apparatus from the waist down.

"Nathan, you look great. All you need now are some bright yellow kiddie's floaties for your arms, and you'd look perfect."

"Ha ha. Laugh it up, Hales, but you won't find it so funny when I get you in the pool."

"Oh but I won't be in the pool for these exercises, Nathan. I show you the movements on dry land, then you get in the pool, and we go through our little routine. I just stand here and boss you around."

Nathan looked at her for a moment, before turning to look at the pool. This was not fair. He was hoping she would have to come in as well, and who knows what would happen once she was in?

"Hello Nathan? C'mon and let's get started." Haley had noticed Nathan's attention divert, and clicked her fingers to get him back on track. She then unrolled two yoga mats for them to practice the exercises before Nathan lowered himself into the pool.

Haley stood at the edge of the pool monitoring Nathan's progress; stopwatch wrapped around one hand, while writing notes in her journal with the other. She could tell that although the swelling had gone down quickly, Nathan still moved gingerly, even in the pool, for some of the more gentler exercises. She knew he was physically capable, but surmised that his issue might be more psychological – that he was extremely anxious about injuring himself again.

As the thirty-minute mark approached, Haley helped Nathan out of the pool, and out of the blue foam devices. She handed him a towel and began to dry off the equipment to put back in the pack.

"So, how did I go? What's next?" Nathan's questions had her turning around, and before she answered, she stole a glance at him towelling off. She had watched him in the pool, but was focused on the stopwatch and making notes, but now she could appreciate his form. She rolled the top of pen along her bottom lip, staring at him as though she were lost in a haze. She jolted out of her state, and clicked the pen a few times.

"oh, umm, you did really well. Obviously you'll experience tougher resistance when you do the aqua bike and water treadmill at the hospital, but this was a great start. If you can, you need to do these exercises every day, and I'll come once or twice a week to chart your progress."

"Oh."

"Is something wrong?"

"No…not really. I just didn't know how often you'd need to see me."

"Well, between the sessions you'll have at the team gym, the hydrotherapy at the hospital, and the exercises you can do here, you'll have a few people overseeing your progress. They'll send me across the results from each session, and we'll keep tweaking the rehab program as you recover."

"Yeah, but you're not there for all of it."

There was an awkward silence, as Nathan looked down at his knee, before reaching for his t-shirt and putting it on.

"I'm really sorry, Nathan. I wish I could do more, but I do still have other patients to see, and I've already re-assigned as many as I can. I know that it's a very big deal for you to get back on the team, and I want to reassure you that I will do everything I can to make that happen…but I can only do so much. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I just…as I said to Luke to the other day, I prefer to deal with just one person for something like this. It's just one of my annoying "things", I guess."

"Nathan, I completely understand. Like I said, I would love to make sure that I oversee your recovery personally, and if I can reassign more patients, then I will also oversee your rehab at the hospital. I can't do much about the team gym scenario, but I will do what I can at the hospital."

He nodded at her before helping to take the acqua packs inside.

"C'mon let's finish this inside."

* * *

They were currently standing at the foot of his massive king-sized bed in his master bedroom. Haley had told them there shouldn't be any problems with him going up and down the stairs, as it would also double as exercise for his knee, as long as he did it slowly and sensibly.

"OK, so your favourite exercise is coming up." Haley winked at Nathan, as they both stood there with hands on hips.

"Why don't you hop on the bed, face up, hands by your side."

Nathan did as he was asked, and tapped his fingers on the mattress waiting for the next instructions. Haley moved to the side of the bed and leaned over him, adjusting his legs slightly.

"OK, Nathan, so you begin with your knee flat on the bed and then slowly bend your knee until it is just slightly uncomfortable. Hold your knee in this position for ten seconds, and then relax by straightening your leg. OK, good. Now rest for ten seconds before repeating, and do ten reps in total."

Nathan went through the reps as directed, feeling a slight pinch at times. Haley could see there was slight discomfort by the look on his face, and tenderly reached out to touch his knee. As she touched him, he jerked his knee a little, and Haley assumed it was due to more pain.

"Oh Nathan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No, no, you didn't. You just surprised me a little. I wasn't expecting you to help me like that."

"Oh OK. Are you OK to finish the reps, and then we can go through more exercises you can do on the bed?"

"Yeah sure."

Haley then proceeded to instruct him on exercises for knee extensions, quad sets and straight leg raises. Each exercise she held on to his leg longer and, with what Nathan interpreted as, tenderness. He couldn't help but wish she were touching him for other reasons. Shaking potential dirty thoughts from his head, he tried regaining focus on the exercises.

When he had finished the set of exercises, Haley helped him up from the bed, and he stood before her, a little gingerly at first, before he corrected his stance. As he lifted his head, he locked eyes with her, and realised she had been staring at him while he got himself together. In that moment, her face was unreadable, but then he could see emotion in her eyes – he was beyond convinced that it was the same thing he was feeling for her.

Bridging the small gap between them, Nathan placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to kissed her gently; her lips soft, warm and inviting. The next thing he felt was her hands skimming along the front of his shirt and then interlocking behind his neck.

Neither was willing to be the first to breakaway.

_**xx**_


	7. Chapter 7

Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews and alert additions; you're all seriously rocking my world!

In response to **kutebloo's** review (sorry I couldn't respond direct – I think you signed in without an account): I know a little bit about this type of rehab because my guy went through a similar rehab process when he injured his knee playing soccer a few years ago. You get a crash course in physical therapy when you see the rehab schedule!

OK, onto Chapter 7 – just a little one today, but I wanted to get it posted so that I could get Ch8 up soon. In a weird process, I've also been working on the final chapter – mainly just the structure – but we still have a few chapters to go before we get there ;-)

* * *

They stayed rooted to the same spot for what seemed like ages, hands touching each other's bodies, mouths fused together in heated kisses. The situation surprised them both, but it was something they both seemed to want…or need. Haley could feel Nathan's hands slowly, tentatively, move over her body, ready to rescind at the first word from her. His hands were warm, and his touches were gentle; it was a feeling she could get used to very quickly.

Nathan broke their kiss to explore the soft skin on her neck and along her shoulder, and the path along her jaw line. Haley moved her head to the side to allow Nathan more access, and she couldn't deny the exquisite feelings running through her body.

Nathan was slowly pulling her shirt up, just lifting the hem up slightly, so that his hands could travel underneath and feel her skin. Every touch of her skin was sending him on fire. As close as their bodies were pressed, he was sure Haley would be able to feel the physical evidence of his want for her. He'd been in a state of arousal, mentally and physically, all day. Heck, he'd been attracted to her from the first time she pitched up to his house to begin therapy; and here they were, now wrapped around each other.

Haley shifted slightly so that Nathan could raise her shirt up, she made it clear that she wanted her shirt off. Without further encouragement, Nathan had her shirt removed and thrown on the floor. He quickly removed his own shirt, and they were both left standing, casting their eyes over the other's body. Nathan smiled at Haley before gently brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek. Haley placed her hand over his, just as he was about to retract, and kept it there, loving the connection. In the next moment, she took his hand and slowly dragged it along her collarbone, down over one breast, and left his hand to trace over the cup of her bra. The entire movement resulting in a sharp intake of breath from her.

Nathan continue to cup her breast with one hand, circling his thumb over her nipple, feeling it peak under the material, while running his other hand along the side of her body, paying attention to curve of her waist down to the curve of her hip. He held her gently as he kissed her shoulder, moving the strap of her bra to kiss the area underneath. The strap fell down and he moved his hand from her shoulder down to the swell of her breast.

Haley's hands roamed the front of Nathan's body, feeling the hard plane of his chest, down and over the well-defined muscles of his abdomen. As she travelled further down, she could feel Nathan's muscles contract under her touch. She hit the waistband of his shorts, and moved along the band so that her hands met and encircled his waist. She rubbed small circles on his lower back, her fingers dancing below the band every so often.

Nathan bucked forward slightly, letting her feel him against her lower body, and she pressed against him. In the next instant, Nathan's hands travelled down her body to the button on her shorts. He slowly undid them, and tugged the zipper down, letting his hands run over the top of her underwear, pushing her shorts down in the process. His hands snaked under the waistband at the back, and he gently cupped her backside before removing his hands and running them over her hips and then along the edge of her underwear, down to the apex of her thighs. He ran an index finger ran over the material and then between her legs, and he could feel a slight wetness forming from her arousal. He couldn't wait any longer. He took a quick step back to the bed, bringing Haley with him.

As he stepped back, he felt a sharp pain run through his entire leg, spiking as it hit his knee. He tried to suppress the pain, but he couldn't hold it in, and he groaned in agony before sitting awkwardly on the bed.

Haley watched in horror as Nathan grimaced in pain. She reached for her shirt and refastened her shorts before kneeling beside the bed and gently holding Nathan's knee. Seeing him like this was like a bucket of cold water, and she was taken out of their previous entanglement, and quickly brought in to the present.

"Nathan, Nathan! Is there anywhere else besides your knee where you're experiencing pain?"

Nathan continued to grab at his knee, while shaking his head.

"No, it's just a sharp, shooting pain throughout my knee."

"Ok, just lean back a bit, and let me put this pillow under your leg. I need to feel around the knee and make sure there are no other areas affected. Your knee is still tender, so placing any weight on it is going to put pressure on the joints while they are still healing."

Haley very gently used the pads of her thumbs to press into Nathan's knee. As she pressed certain areas, she could see the look on his face as he winced slightly in pain. This was not how either one of them envisaged the night ending.

"Nathan, I can't feel any abnormalities, although the area is inflamed a little. You need to keep your leg elevated tonight and use your ice pack for ten minutes on, ten minutes off. Can you arrange to come to the hospital tomorrow? I'll try and get a quick appointment with Dr Perry and some possible scans done to check the muscle and ligaments."

"Haley, I'm sorry."

"God, Nathan, you have nothing to be sorry about. _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. This probably shouldn't have happened." She looked down and shook her head.

"Do you really mean that?" There was a hint of venom in his question, as he could have sworn they both wanted tonight to happen.

Looking directly at him, she offered a small smile, but her eyes were saying different.

"I don't know Nathan. Professionally, this shouldn't be happening. If anyone found out, I could get in some serious trouble. Hell, we both could get in some serious trouble." Scratching behind her ear, she continued, "I won't lie to you, Nathan; I liked it. I liked where tonight was heading, but I'm your therapist, and I should have known better. Maybe whatever this is," she gestured between them, "needs to wait until you've fully recovered."

"No." The simple reply was a statement. It was typical of Nathan. When he didn't like a suggestion, he made his feelings known very simply.

"Nathan –"

"No, Haley. That is bullshit. So what if you're treating me? Why can't we be together as well? Is there a conflict anywhere? I don't think so." He was so matter-of-fact about it all, that Haley almost bought into it. _Almost_.

"Nathan –"

"No Haley, I don't want to hear it."

"So, I have to listen to your ranting and raving, but you don't show me the courtesy to listen to me? That's a real fine start."

Nathan ran his hand over his face, realising what a Grade-A jackhole he was. He sat up straighter, and indicated for her to continue.

"Thank you. I was just going to say that maybe we should cool this a little bit. Let's get some tests done tomorrow on your knee, and take it from there. My job is important to me, and I don't want to risk it by having my boss, who is also your team doctor, make professional decisions that could affect my career."

"I just don't see what the problem is, Haley."

"Nathan, I've treated a lot of professional athletes under the tutelage and supervision of Dr Perry. Do you know how many of those athletes I had a relationship with, let alone be attracted to? None. You know, I've heard of one or two people at the hospital be demoted or lose their jobs because they got involved with their patients. In the Board's opinion, it's unethical. I get paid by the Board, Nathan."

"So we just don't tell anyone, Haley. By the time I complete rehab and get back on the court, whose business is it? This is between you and me. It's that simple."

Haley combed her hands through her hair and then held her hair back in her hands for a moment.

"Meet me halfway, Nathan. Let's just get through tomorrow and get the results, and then we can talk about this further, OK?"

He looked at her with a slightly sad smile and nodded. He made to get off the bed, but Haley halted his moves.

"Nathan, just rest for now. I can see myself out."

* * *

Before Haley finally left, she prepared a few ice packs for Nathan to use on his knee. He was now sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard, TV on but with the sound down. He was icing down his knee as his replayed everything that had transpired between them today. What bothered him the most was their conversation before Haley left.

He honestly could not see what the problem was with Haley treating him, and also being in a relationship with him. There didn't appear to be any conflict of interest, and he initially thought Haley was overreacting about the professional aspect of it all. Nobody at the Bobcats would care, and he was sure that no one at the hospital would care, despite what Haley was feeling. And that was the problem; he wasn't caring about how she felt. How he ever expected to have anything with her when he couldn't consider her feelings was a major concern.

Nathan was going to have to seriously reconsider his approach to things with Haley if he ever stood a chance with her. This line of thinking was new to him. He had honestly never cared this much about another woman in his entire life, and the fact that he was starting now, with Haley, scared him a little.

He had remembered the way she was in high school. The spunky sidekick to Lucas's emo-teen. The smart and sassy girl who never once altered her appearance to fit in with the dull and vapid cheerleaders. He had always thought she was pretty in high school, and to see her years later, she had become even more beautiful. She was the complete opposite to the usual brainless bimbos that caught his eye. She exuded confidence professionally, and it permeated into her personal life – he could see it in her eyes. That confidence made her extremely sexy in his opinion. It wasn't overt confidence, either. The groupies that would target the players on the team were so blatantly obvious and fake. They would say and do anything, and while it had been entertaining to see how far these bimbos would go to land a player, the truth was there were far better options if any of the players were so inclined. Groupies were dangerous, because more often than not, they would invariably sell their story to some trashy tabloid at the most inopportune time. Nathan had seen it happen to other players in the NBA, and after the dust had settled, he knew that route was never worth it.

His thoughts were currently all over the place – he was mad with Haley, mad with her hospital if what she said was true; but more importantly he was mad with himself for forcing his opinion on her.

And who was to say that this would turn into some full blown relationship? Until his knee started hurting tonight, he and Haley were simply about to have sex. There was no intimation of a long-term relationship. _Oh, who the hell was he kidding?_ Of course he wanted a relationship with Haley. He would have to be fucking stupid to _not_ want something more than sex with her. He wasn't a religious person, but having her turn out to be his therapist was some kind of sign, he just knew it.

He'd been stupid back in high school not to have taken the opportunity to get to know her better – he'd been as civil with her as he had been with Lucas back in the day, but he knew he'd be kicking himself for a long time to come for not taking a chance. Here they were now, several years later, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss another chance with her.

Haley was helping him in more ways than she could possibly know, and he was drawn to her like the proverbial moth to the flame. He wanted to show her that the idea of them together was a good thing, and wouldn't affect her career or anything else she was worried about. He would show her how amazing their relationship could be, and he would help her become braver than she already was. He wanted her to feel the same way he did.

He wanted to help her simply because he had already fallen for her.

_**xx**_


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again, my friends, you seriously own my heart! Thanks for the reviews and adding me to your alerts. I may be off-line for a while in a few weeks, as I'll be travelling for 3 weeks to another country to live. I'll be hoping to arrive the same time as my shipped cargo. Should be fun.

Just a quick reply to someone without an account: **angel** – I really want to involve more characters, and I'll see if I can magic something up. A sidekick, at least, for Lucas if nothing else! Ha ha

Without further adieu, here is Chapter 8…

* * *

Nathan was currently sitting in the familiar surroundings of Dr Perry's office at the hospital. In the adjoining room, Haley and Dr Perry were quietly discussing the results of the scans that Nathan had undertaken a little while ago.

"So tell me again what brought about today's examination and scan, Haley?"

"Sure. Yesterday I was with Nathan to introduce the basic exercise plan for hydrotherapy. Nathan underwent thirty minutes of pain-free aqua exercises; no swelling was apparent once Nathan had completed the reps. I then went through the hourly exercises, the heel reps, the quad reps, and again no apparent swelling presented itself after those exercises. Nathan then stood for a short period of time next to the bed, and as he took a step backward, he felt a sharp pain radiate through the knee when his foot connected back on the ground."

"I see. And that immediately followed the heel and quad rep exercises?"

A slight pause from Haley before she swallowed and continued, "Yes Dr Perry, I would say around ten minutes following the exercises."

"What then are your recommendations, Haley?"

"I would recommend Nathan start commencing monitored hydrotherapy on the water treadmill and bicycle here at the hospital, together with sessions at the team's base under the supervision of the athletic director. I don't believe any further home visits are necessary, as all exercises and schedules have been explained to Nathan."

"Yes, I'm inclined to agree with you there, Haley. I would like a few more scheduled appointments with Nathan following the initial hydrotherapy, and we can continue with team board meetings as and when necessary. These should now be every two to three weeks unless there is a setback in the rehab. From the scans, I don't see any trauma to the ACL incision, so there is no need for any exploratory surgery. Very well then, let's go give Nathan the good news."

They re-entered Dr Perry's office, and Nathan looked at them both anxiously. As they took their seats, Dr Perry took the lead in delivering the news.

"Well, Nathan, it's a good thing Haley was with you when you experienced the pain yesterday." Nathan nodded and looked over at Haley who was avoiding his gaze. "The ice packs are a nuisance to prepare, but they're the best thing when the swelling is that bad. The good news is that today's scans show no signs of advanced injury or trauma. The most likely cause of your pain and swelling yesterday was a result of the extra exertion from the exercises."

"So, should I stop doing them, or continue…?"

Haley stepped in to provide the answer, "Nathan, the best thing for you at the moment is moderation. There is no need to force anything at this stage." He knew the double meaning behind her response, and he smirked at her comment; _nice one Haley, kick a man when he's down_.

"What are you saying Haley?"

"Dr Perry agrees that no more home visits are required – for now. We're going to get you out of the house and starting hydrotherapy at the hospital, as well as rehab with your athletic director at your team's gym. We will space out the sessions so that you won't feel overwhelmed by it all, but we think it's the best option moving forward…Everything else will fall into place when it needs to". _Nice hidden meaning AGAIN Hales._ Nathan was ready to blow the lid on everything, but he thought better and kept his composure.

"Dr Perry, what's your prognosis? How much longer before I can start drills with the team?"

Dr Perry looked over to Haley, and back to Nathan. "I'd like to consult further with Haley on this, but despite this recent incident, you should be on track to return for the new season."

Nathan didn't appreciate this response. He didn't appreciate it the first time Dr Perry delivered the prognosis, and was now determined more than ever to work harder to get back sooner.

"Who's going to look after my therapy here at the hospital?"

"We have specialised therapists for the different procedures Haley has recommended, but rest assured, we will both still be overseeing your recovery and liaising with the team on a regular basis." Dr Perry was starting to sense that something, other than Nathan's injury, was bothering him.

Nathan clucked his tongue, while looking down at his knee. He was cottoning on that perhaps Haley had recommended this new program to avoid seeing him. This was not making him happy at all. _Wasn't she the one that suggested having this appointment, and then talking further?_ He knew then it was time to leave and thanked Dr Perry and, begrudgingly, Haley, for their time. He walked gingerly from the hospital to the waiting town car, which would take him to the team's executive offices for a meeting with Lucas.

Once Nathan had left Dr Perry's office, Haley quietly gathered Nathan's file from the examination room, and walked back into Dr Perry's office. He was typing at his computer as she stood opposite him, near where Nathan had sat.

"Dr Perry? Do you have a moment? I would like to talk to you about something."

Dr Perry looked up from his computer and nodded. "Sure Haley, what is it?"

"It's about Nathan Scott…." She slowly sat down, looking around the room before continuing, "…and my involvement in his case."

* * *

Lucas was grateful to the Bobcats for letting him use a small conference room at the Executive Offices – he never considered himself a full-time agent, and really only became Nathan's agent because of Nathan's trust issues. Nathan didn't trust a lot of people when it came to his career, and when the pro offers started coming through in college, so did a lot of shady salesman, posing as agents. With his new found relationship with Lucas, he regularly sought his advice, and it was Lucas who read through all of the paperwork to establish _"what was legit and what was shit"_, as Nathan put it. On occasion, when he wasn't sure of certain legalities in a contract, he would referred it to a specialist lawyer, and after a while, he became accustomed to the inner-workings of a professional sports contract. He even took the extra step of completing an eight-week certified course that would lend weight to his claim as a sports agent, let alone Nathan's.

Here he was now, sitting in the conference room at the Bobcats, listening to the qualified sports agent run through his spiel. Lucas had called this meeting in the hopes of introducing Nathan to Clay Evans, and seeing if the two would gel. As it currently stood, though, he was never going to find out at this rate as Nathan was running late. Lucas has tried several times to get Nathan to meet Clay, and every time Nathan had an excuse not to, or just didn't bother showing up. Which is why he didn't tell Nathan why he needed to see him at the "office". While they were waiting, Lucas had Clay run through an agenda of sorts, so that he could make sure Clay would say the right thing with someone like Nathan.

"I'm sorry about this, Clay. Nathan's running a little late because of a medical appointment at the hospital. He should be here soon."

"No problem Lucas"

"Luke. Please call me Luke. I only get called Lucas when I'm in trouble."

"OK..Luke. So, you were saying earlier you might have a book deal in the works?"

"Yeah, nothing definite yet, but it's looking promising. I'm heading up to New York shortly to tie things up hopefully." He twirled his pen in his hands, while looking through the partially opened venetians bordering the office. He could see Nathan making his way to the conference room. "Listen, Nate's here. I want to apologise in advance if he is less than polite with you. He doesn't take too kindly to change, but maybe you and I can convince him otherwise, OK?"

"Sure, no problem. I've seen just about everything in professional sport, so I'll be OK." He took a deep breath, mentally preparing his speech.

He watched as Nathan Scott walked gingerly into the room, and straight over to Lucas, almost ignoring Clay in the process. He watched the two brothers greet each other, before they both looked in his direction.

"So, Nate, thanks for coming down here. I was glad you could make it because I wanted to introduce you to someone," moving closer to the conference table, Lucas stood between them, "Nate, this is Clay Evans. He's the agent from ISM I've been talking about. Clay, this is my brother, Nathan Scott."

Clay and Nathan shook hands, Clay a little more energetic than Nathan. They all took a seat at the table, and Lucas continued directing the flow of conversation.

"So Nate, I asked Clay to come here today and introduce himself, and ISM, to you. I wanted you to hear some of the great things his agency can do for your career." Lucas held his breath, waiting for Nathan to unleash some foul-mouth tirade, but nothing came out except:

"OK. Tell me all about it, Clay."

Clay and Lucas exchanged slightly shocked looks, but quickly turned them into smiles as Clay began.

"Let me give you a quick history and bio of the agency. ISM has been around for thirty years and is easily one of the best and all-round sports agencies in the world. We're a group of individuals who specialise in different talents which meet our clients' needs. We have a rich and diverse international client roster, and we are highly skilled and trained in the areas of elite client management. All you need to focus on is playing – leave the rest to us."

Lucas watched Nathan's reaction as Clay introduced the firm. There was no expression, but that was common with Nathan. He sat back and let the two of them continue.

"And what about you, Clay. What should I know about you?"

"Well, I have an MBA in Sports Management from the University of Michigan, where I'm delighted to say, I've been able to recruit a few fellow students in their rookie years in the NFL, NHL and NBA. I'm getting those Wolverines in the big leagues. I'm certified and registered through the agency in five east coast states, and with the professional bodies of the NCAA, NFL, NHL and NBA."

"So where are you based, then? Are you one of those agents who stays in his fancy office in New York and who'll only come to Charlotte when the shit hits the fan? I detest those suit case salesmen."

Clay chuckled at Nathan's comment before setting the record straight.

"Listen, we're an international agency. We have offices in London, Madrid, Paris and Istanbul. On the domestic front we're everywhere. Sure, we have the requisite offices in New York, Chicago and LA, but we set ourselves up in major cities where the action is happening. We've been in Charlotte going on ten years now. We knew this city would be a great base for clients in all the big teams, in all the major codes. This area is a hotbed of activity, which is why I asked to be relocated here a few months ago."

"Look, Clay. I don't know what my brother here has told you, or what you think you know about me. As you can see, I'm injured and the doctors tell me I won't be playing again for a while. Why bother trying to sign me now? Who knows if and when I'll get to play?"

"Nathan, from what I hear you have the best medical team at your disposal. Your surgeon is one of, if not, the best in the country; the rehabilitation team is not too shabby either, and apparently you guys went to school with one of the therapists. Haley, is it? –"

"That's irrelevant, Clay."

"I'm sorry, Nathan, didn't mean to get off track. What was I saying? Oh right, your entire medical team is the best in the field. You'll be back before you know it. They like to overestimate recovery time to protect their own asses, Nathan. It's standard in professional sports. The great thing for you is that the team doctor will have great pull with the coaches here, and from what I hear, the team is keen to have you back. They need you, and they know it."

Nathan mulled over Clay's words carefully, while looking at Lucas. Lucas shrugged at him, and turned his attention back to Clay. Nathan seemed lost. Like he was adrift at sea. He was injured and not able to play the sport that he loved the most, and after today's medical appointment, he was pretty sure he had ruined things with Haley before they even had a chance to start _anything_.

Clay could see that Nathan wanted to be anywhere else except here. He appreciated the sentiment, because he had basically dropped in to meet Nathan, unannounced. He started collecting his things and addressed Lucas and Nathan.

"Look, I'm going to leave the two of you to have a talk. Maybe you have more questions, or want some more information about ISM. I'm leaving my card with you, and you can contact me twenty-four seven. There's no rush to make any decisions, but I cannot express enough, how interested we are in forming a professional alliance with you." Shaking their hands, he thanked them again for their time and left.

"So?"

"So what Luke?"

"I can't believe you stayed beyond the first minute."

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd better get this over with. So when are you heading up to New York?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. It's just for the day, but I'm going to stay the night, and head back the following morning. So, uh, how did the appointment go today?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Bad news?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it, Luke. Just leave it alone."

"No. You will talk to me about it, and we'll talk about it now!"

"Ok, here goes. Things look fine, no extra damage, and I start rehab at the hospital and the team gym in a couple of days, but Haley won't be as involved."

"Does that bother you?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I don't care."

"What kind of response was that? What's going on with you and Haley?"

"Nothing is going on. She's made that very clear."

"Wait, what? So you guys were on, or what?"

Nathan glared at Lucas and then looked at the floor, hand on his hip, resting his weight on his good leg.

"Nothing happened. Well, that's not true, but I don't want to "gross you out" with the details. Let's just say we more than kissed last night, and things probably would have gone further if the shooting pain in my knee hadn't come about. We then fought over whatever is we have, or don't have, or want to have, and she bullshitted me about some sort of medical ethics, and why we couldn't be together. End of story."

Lucas gave Nathan a small pat on the back to let him know he was there for him, and that it would be OK.

"Listen man, for what it's worth, she probably is bound by some sort of patient-doctor thing, and is only doing what she thinks is best."

"She's not a doctor, Luke."

"Yeah, but be she's a medical professional. Anyone working in a hospital is probably governed by the same set of rules. Maybe she thinks it's either you or her job, and that's just a decision she's not ready to make yet."

"Thanks, I feel so much better…not."

"You know what I mean. Look, how long has this thing been going on with the two of you?"

"It hasn't. That's the thing. Last night was the first time I kissed her, and already it's over before it's begun."

"Still hurts though, doesn't it? How long have you been in love with her, dude?"

"What? You're crazy. I'm not in love with her. She's been around for a couple of weeks, that's not long enough to fall in love….is it?"

Lucas laughed to himself and scratched the back of his head. "Dude, you are so far gone. OK, maybe you're not in love just yet, but you are so close to it, you might as well be."

"Whatever man. It's not gonna happen, so end of story."

"OK fine. So what about Clay? What do you think about him working with you? Some of the executives are familiar with him and his agency. I'm hearing nothing but good things, and that's going to work in your favour come the contract period."

"Yeah, I know. I just…everything feels like it's slipping away or something."

"Nah man, you're just having to move from your comfort zone for a while, that's all. Look, you and I both knew I couldn't be your agent forever. Just like you wanting play ball, I have a desire to write and be published, and that looks like it's finally happening."

"Yeah, and I'm happy for you, but I thought you'd be able to write and be on the road with me, man."

Lucas had tried, but it wasn't conducive to good writing. Sometimes he just wanted to escape somewhere, experience a bit of solitude and have inspiration strike at random moments. He couldn't do that being on the road with Nathan and the team. He would lose focus on both Nathan's interests and his own, which is why he made the tough decision to help find a new agent for Nathan.

"Look, I'll be gone a day and a half. I'm contactable by phone if you need anything, but you should be fine. Just relax and get that knee better, OK? I'm going home to pack, how about I come over later and we'll fire up the BBQ and talk a bit more about the Clay situation?"

"Sure, man. I'll see you then."

* * *

Lucas was back at his house, walking to his bedroom with a glass in one hand, going through the agenda for his one day meeting in New York. He set the glass on the dresser and walked over to his bed and began packing a small carry-on bag with some clothes, copies of his manuscript and his laptop. As was typical Lucas, his mind was racing with everything going on at the moment aside from his book deal; introducing Clay Evans as a possible replacement agent; Nathan's injury and recovery, not to mention the situation between Nathan and Haley. He walked back over to the dresser and downed the remaining contents of his drink, hoping to God that it would all work out for everyone.

*****

Across town, in another house, the silence was deafening as she was in her bedroom packing a bag; a much larger bag, which suggested she was leaving Charlotte for more than a day.

_**xx**_


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone,

I got some interesting feedback on the last chapter – thank you very much and I'm sorry I didn't get to reply personally this time around, but I truly appreciate all your comments.

I hope I didn't have you too worried with how Chapter 8 finished. I'm hoping you'll find some answers or reassurance with the chapter below – I'm a little "meh" about it, but I still think it will help move into the next part of the story. BTW, there are some familiar characters in this chapter.

* * *

Things were different for a lot of people, even a few short days after Nathan's medical appointment and meeting with Clay.

Lucas had returned from New York with good news – Moffat Publishing had come to the party and offered to publish Lucas's manuscript, as well as offering him a publishing deal for two more novels, and a nice healthy advance which would be sent to him within the week.

In light of Lucas's news, Nathan had reluctantly agreed to let Clay represent him; he was, after all, "on sick leave, so it's not like Clay would have much to do", as Nathan so eloquently put it.

During that same week, Clay had met with the team big wigs to ascertain the status of Nathan's value among the team, spoken with several medium-to-large sized companies regarding possible endorsement deals for his return from injury, and retained the services of one of his in-house financial gurus to ensure that Nathan's assets had been, and would continue to be, well maintained. Again, that was all during the first week.

Nathan had undertaken the first round of his "new look" rehab schedule at the hospital as well as gone back to the team gym to work with the athletic trainer. His stubborn pride wanted to make things as tough as possible for his aqua therapist, Ronald, but he knew his behaviour would be reported to Haley and Dr Perry. He was still unaware that Haley had left town, and supposed he would see her in the next scheduled meeting with Dr Perry. Training at the team gym was a far more enjoyable experience for him. Being able to train, albeit completely different routines to the rest of team, was a huge boost to his confidence, and to be surrounded by familiar faces made him feel one step closer to being back full time.

Lucas, Nathan and Clay had met up several times during the week, whether it be lunch, dinner or propping up the local bar, and the more time Clay spent with them, the more Nathan began to tolerate him. He still didn't consider him a friend, but he didn't want to throw him under a bus. In Nathanland, that was called a "major improvement". During one of their later dinners, Lucas announced that he was packing his bags again.

"So, there's something I need to tell you guys. I'm going on a few trips, mainly to New York, but I'm also heading back to Tree Hill for a while."

"Tree Hill? Man, why do you want to go back there?"

"Nate, you make it sound like it's the ass-end of the world or something."

Nathan shrugged a little and made one of those "if the shoe fits" faces.

"Nate, whether you care to admit it or not, Tree Hill is home. It's where we grew up, and your mom still lives there, so don't make it seem like the seventh circle of hell."

"Yeah, but your mom and Keith are in Charleston. What are you going back for?"

Lucas wiped his hands on his napkin, and took a sip of his drink.

"You know my recent trips to New York? Well, I saw more than publishers and literary agents there. I, uh, kinda caught up with Brooke Davis."

Both Nathan and Clay looked at Lucas with surprised faces. Nathan, because Brooke was the last person he expected his brother to mention, and Clay, because he had no idea who she was.

"Uh, sorry to ask, and maybe I shouldn't be part of this conversation, but who's Brooke Davis."

"Noone"

"Someone we went to High School with." Lucas and Nathan both responded at the same time.

It was obvious from Nathan's monosyllabic response that he didn't care much for Brooke. She was overtly cheery, even for the captain of the cheer squad, and she was very matter-of-fact about things. Even things she knew nothing about. He was more than extremely grateful that they had never hooked up in high school.

Lucas gave Nathan a dirty look before explaining to Clay, "Brooke was one of the popular girls in school. You know the type: head cheerleader, never short of male attention. We dated for a little while when we were seniors, and then she headed off to New York for college and we lost touch. A few months ago, I was having drinks with one of the publishers in New York, and she was at the same bar with some work colleagues, and we've just been keeping in touch via phone and email ever since."

"So, what, are you back together?" Nathan didn't sound impressed by his brother's account, and wanted to know if he was going to be hassled by a Brooke visit.

"No, no, nothing like that…yet. We're just keeping in touch, but who knows? She's single, I'm single, so why not?"

Nathan gave a dramatic roll of the eyes before turning to Clay, "If you ever meet her, do not look directly in her eyes. You're better off staying single."

"Well actually, I'm married."

"What?" both brothers responded simultaneously.

"Uh yeah, her name's Sara. We've known each other since college, and got married eighteen months ago. She's a dancer –"

"Oh yeah, which club, maybe Nathan knows her?" Lucas interjected before seeing the stunned look on Clay's face. Nathan burst out laughing at the awkwardness, and before too long both Clay and Lucas joined in as well.

"Very funny you guys. She's a classically trained dancer, and teaches ballet to kids from about four years and up."

"Don't they all." Nathan provided, before they all burst out laughing again. Lucas's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he excused himself to take the call.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good. How's everything there?"

"Great. Just sitting down to dinner with Nathan and Clay."

"Oh, good. I hope it's going well. I was just calling to find out when you were leaving for Tree Hill."

"I'm going to drive down first thing in the morning. I should be there by lunch."

"OK, we'll I'll see you then. Take care."

"Yeah, you too."

He hung up the phone and rejoined Nathan and Clay. Nathan watched him sit down, but couldn't read the look on his face.

"Everything OK man?"

"Oh yeah, sure. That was about my trip to Tree Hill, actually."

"What about it?"

"I was going to mention earlier, that Brooke has some time off work, and is going to join me in Tree Hill for a little while. I found my inspiration for my first book there, and I'm hoping to find more inspiration there for the second book."

"Clay, what my brother is trying to say, is that he is hoping Brooke will start sleeping with him again." Nathan laughed before sipping his drink.

"Inspiration comes in many forms, Nate. Don't knock it."

The three men laughed again, raising their glasses in a toast to inspiration, before downing their drinks. Lucas looked on at Nathan chatting to Clay, and felt guilty for not telling him that it was actually Haley who had just called.

* * *

Haley was enjoying the perfect cup of coffee at Karen's Café. It was the very same café she used to work at during high school, and was still owned by Karen. Karen and Keith had been living in Charleston for the past several years, but Karen still owned and oversaw the books remotely. A few years ago, Karen opened a second café in one of the smaller suburbs of Charleston and, until recently, was also the owner of Tric. It was a small club in Tree Hill which she had opened when Lucas and Haley were in high school – it was one of the first clubs in the area which gave those who were under-21 somewhere to enjoy live music.

In addition to Haley, Karen had recruited Peyton Sawyer, another Tree Hill High student, to help run Tric. Peyton had proved to be a natural at the business, and had developed some key contacts in the industry. After graduating, Peyton headed to the Savannah College of Art and Design. Not so much for the program, but because of Jake Jaglieski, her high school boyfriend. He landed in Savannah following a custody battle over his daughter and, after Peyton finished college, they had a fairly low-key wedding and all three of them returned to Tree Hill. Peyton made Karen an offer she couldn't refuse on Tric, and shortly after, she assumed her new, and current, role at Tric.

This was what Haley had learned from Peyton two days ago, after they bumped into each other along Market Street on Haley's first day back. In those two days, Haley had joined the Jaglieski's for lunches and dinners, and today Haley was meeting Peyton for coffee at Karen's. It was also Peyton who informed Haley that, according to Brooke, _something_ might be happening between her and Lucas.

"That little bastard." Haley exclaimed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, except that I'm going to kick his ass when I see him. He told me nothing was going on with his love life. Liar."

"Hello pot, are you calling the kettle black again?"

"What are you talking about Peyton?"

"Umm, hello? You reluctantly told me about your near sex experience with Nathan, and I'm pretty sure you told Luke nothing was going on."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Well, technically, when Luke and I had that conversation, nothing had happened. There was no near sex experience."

"Doesn't matter. You have it bad for Nathan, and you had it bad when you had that conversation with Luke, and you told me you told him nothing was happening in your love life."

"Nothing was, Peyt!"

"Just because you weren't fornicating everywhere, doesn't mean nothing was happening. If you have feelings for someone, that still counts, Hales."

Both of them shared a small smile before Haley stirred her coffee.

"So what do you think I should do, Peyton?"

"Let me see if I've got this straight: you like Nathan, he likes you; you're his sexy therapist, and your employer has a code of ethics that frowns upon relationships with patients during treatment."

"Got it in one."

"How long before Nathan finishes his treatment?"

"Several weeks."

"Can you wait that long?"

"I have to if I want to keep my job."

"Well, I don't think you've done anything wrong. Although you probably should have told Nathan you were coming down here for some headspace."

"I know Peyton, but I get the feeling Nathan's not the type to just sit back and accept that. He doesn't understand what the big deal is, but now I feel like I have to make an immediate decision between Nathan and my job."

"…but you don't know if he's worth the sacrifice?"

"Well, no, I wouldn't have put it quite like that, but you're on the right track. Nathan doesn't want to wait, but I think we can. If we're meant to be, then several more weeks won't change anything."

"How about you just don't tell anyone."

"You sound just like Nathan."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. The thought also crossed my mind, but I don't know, I would feel horrible lying to my colleagues. I already lied to Dr Perry, and I couldn't do that again."

"What did you tell him?"

"Well, I had wanted to tell him the truth, but then…"

*****

"_Dr Perry? Do you have a moment? I would like to talk to you about something."_

_Dr Perry looked up from his computer and nodded. "Sure Haley, what is it?"_

"_It's about Nathan Scott…." She slowly sat down, looking around the room before continuing, "…and my involvement in his case."_

_Dr Perry looked on with concern as Haley appeared nervous and fidgety._

"_I…uhh…I"_

"_Haley, is everything alright? Just so you know, we can make this completely off the record?" he smiled warmly at her, and she returned the gesture. She took a depth breath, and in that moment, a thousand and one images of her life leading up to this point flashed through mind. She couldn't do it._

"_I can't work on his case anymore. Actually, I can't work on any cases for a little while. I have a family emergency back in Tree Hill, and I was hoping to get your approval for a week's leave. I need to leave as soon as possible."_

*****

"…Dr Perry's not stupid, he probably knows _exactly_ what's going on, but he didn't force the issue with me and granted my leave. I'm not going to do anything else which might jeopardise my place on his team – I have too much professional respect for him."

"Haley, I get it. Don't beat yourself up over it, OK? I see your point, and I'd say most people would too. It's just Nathan. He's never been the patient type. Remember even back in high school, he had to have things done his way and straight away. He was a nightmare. I'm so glad we only went on one date. That was enough for me." Peyton laughed as she shook her head at the memory.

"Hales, it's all gonna work out. Just enjoy your mini-break in beautiful downtown Tree Hill. Listen, Luke and Brooke are here and in a few hours, we're gonna have a mini reunion, and you can hassle _them_ about _their_ relationship. Lord knows I'm going to!"

"Have I told you how happy I am that I bumped into you the other day?"

"Yes, but you can tell me again anytime you like"

* * *

"Luke, I cannot believe your mom still has this place. It hasn't changed one bit, except for the addition of Keith's..umm..decorative touches." Brooked noted, as she walked through the familiar house, wheeling her travel bag behind her. She noticed a few books, pictures and pieces of furniture that _definitely were not_ in Karen's taste. True love really was blind.

The house still had the homely touches that screamed "happy family", and the walls were covered in photos of various combinations of Karen, Keith, Lucas and the baby of the family, Lily. On most weekends Karen, Keith and Lily would make the four hour drive from Charleston to Tree Hill. Karen and Lucas had lived in that home for nearly twenty years, and it carried great sentimental value to her. When she married Keith and had Lily, it seemed logical to keep the house as long as she still owned the café in Tree Hill.

As it stood today, however, the three of them were still in Charleston, which meant the house was available to Lucas and Brooke for the next few days.

"And I cannot believe you remember the house, Brooke."

"How could I not? It was, and is, the cosiest house I've been in."

"Is that your way of saying it's small?"

"Aww, come on now, Luke. You know what I mean. If I could have a house anywhere, it would probably look something like this…minus Keith's mechanically-inspired books and things, of course."

"Of course."

They stood in silence for a moment, grinning like fools. Brooke was waiting for Lucas to take the lead and set the mood for the visit, and Lucas was staring at Brooke letting the good old days replay over and over in his mind.

"So, Luke….umm…where should I put my bag?"

"Oh yeah, of course. You can take mom and Keith's room, if you like, and I'll be in my – ahh, Lily's room."

"Oh OK, thanks Luke. I'm just going to go freshen up, and then we're heading over to Peyton and Jake's right?"

"Yeah, absolutely. Get yourself comfortable and I'll get some coffee on."

They both retreated to their respective rooms, and Lucas took in the décor of his former room. His sister Lily idolised him, and when she knew that Lucas would share this room on his occasional visits, she wanted to share the decorating with him. The result was a nice combination of neutral colours and the odd picture of pink flowers. Nothing too overt. The big win for Lucas was the structure of the sleeping arrangements. He had taken Lily out one day to go shopping for furniture to share when they found the ideal bed. Lily had wanted bunk beds. There was no debate there. She wanted to sleep on the top bunk and have girly linen and fluffy pillows. The only problem was the lack of space between top and bottom bunk – Lucas would squeeze in and have barely any room to turn over. After seeing this, and laughing hysterically, Lily found the perfect bunk bed: it was "L" shaped, and had an extra long single bed on top for her, and a double mattress on the bottom for Lucas. "You have plenty of room to roll around now, Luke" she loudly exclaimed in the store.

Lucas recalled that particular shopping expedition in his head as he stared at the bed. He shook his head and laughed at his little sister. She was the perfect mix of typical little girl with a grown up's mentality.

He began unpacking his bag and placed his laptop on the desk on the other side of the room. He thought about the next few days in Tree Hill and what might happen: with Brooke, with Haley, even Nathan. He was about to flip open his phone and call his brother when he turned around and found Brooke standing there with her suit case.

"I think I want to stay in here with you, if that's OK Luke?"

Closing over the phone, he placed it on the desk as they both walked towards each other, melting into a long, hot, overdue kiss.

* * *

"Hi honey, I'm home."

"Jake, get your ass in here now."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me Peyt," Jake leaned in and gave his wife a kiss as he watched her preparing some sort of meal.

"How'd Jenny go? Was she sad to see you drive off?"

"What do you think? She practically had the car door open before we arrived at Danielle's, and then she almost forgot to say goodbye to me as she bolted inside. _I'm_ the one that's sad."

"Oh, honey don't be sad, she'll be back tomorrow. C'mere." Peyton gave him a tight hug, as he snaked a hand out and grabbed some of the chopped up vegetables on the kitchen counter.

"So when is everyone supposed to be arriving –"

"Hello, , where is your skinny ass?" They both looked in the direction of the front door as soon as they heard Brooke's voice.

"Nevermind" said Jake, as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and stood to the side. He'd been a part of many Brooke/Peyton reunions, and knew to give the two women a wide berth.

Brooke came barrelling into the kitchen, screaming like she hadn't seen Peyton in years. Ambling in slowly behind, and carrying more beer, was Lucas. He put the case down and shook hands with Jake, and then hugged Peyton. Or tried to – Brooke was still connected to Peyton and chattering away aimlessly. Peyton laughed and broke away momentarily to hug her old friend.

Moments later there was ring of the doorbell, and both Jake and Peyton yelled "Come in". Slowly and shyly, Haley entered the kitchen and saw the other four milling around the table, a million conversations going on at one.

"Hey Haley!"

"Hi everyone."

Brooke put her drink down, and walked slowly over to Haley, arms outstretched.

"Tutorgirl!"

The hug was intense and tight and Haley looked at everyone over Brooke's shoulder with a "WTF?" expression. The others stifled their laughed as Haley followed suit.

As Brooked pulled back from the hug, she winked slyly at Haley and shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry Hales, couldn't resist. Just for old time's sake, y'know?"

"No problem, Tigger."

That nickname for Brooked induced another round of laughter, and before long, they were all deep in conversation catching up.

*****

As Peyton, Brooke and Jake continued an in-depth conversation about some lame reality TV show, Lucas walked over to where Haley was pouring herself another drink.

"How you doin' Hales?"

"I'm good. How about you and your "girlfriend" Brooke?"

"We're good. How's your "boyfriend"?"

"Ha-ha. Very funny. He's not my boyfriend."

"Give it time."

"Listen, I have a bone to pick with you. Why did I have to find out about Brooke from Peyton? You two are totally together."

"No we're not. OK, we are. But it only happened today, so I don't know how Peyton found out."

"You lied to me about your love life, Luke."

"So did you, Hales." She sighed before resting her elbows on the counter. "What have I done Luke? I freaked out because Nathan and I kissed and, y'know…almost had sex; I start panicking that I'm going to lose my job, and I lie to my boss to get some off work and run away from Nathan. I am officially a nut job."

Lucas gave Haley a hug, before reassuring her. "No, you're not. You're just a little overwhelmed by it all."

"Can I trust him Luke, or is he just after another fling?"

"Is that what this is about, Hales? You don't know if you can trust him?"

"Luke, I don't know. For the most part he seemed to want more than just sex, but you gotta admit, he has a reputation which he doesn't deny, and I don't begrudge him that. He's free to live his life, and if one-night stands are his thing, that's fine, but it's just not for me, y'know?"

"Which is why you need to talk to him, Hales. From what he's told me and the way he's been acting, I'm pretty sure you and I both know he wants more than a one night stand, but you need to hear it from him."

"I hate it when you're right."

"Just like old times, isn't it?"

"Oh shut up, Eugene" she playfully punched him in the arm, just as the others came over to find out what was happening.

"So Haley, I hear you nearly had sex with Nathan, is that right? So when are you heading back to Charlotte to have your dirty way with him then?", trust Brooke to never mince her words.

Haley looked straight at Lucas with a mortified expression on her face. All Lucas could do was shrug and smile in response.

* * *

Nathan was at home in his gym, stretching his leg and using some of the equipment Haley had left during one of her visits. He was determined to go see her when he went to the hospital tomorrow. He heard the phone and looked at the handset lighting up with each ring. He decided to let the machine pick up.

"_Hey Nathan, it's Rachel…again. Listen I don't know if you're out of town or whatever, but I've left a couple of messages for you and I can't seem to reach you on your cell. I was just calling to see how you were doing. I hope everything's going well. Listen, if your nurse or therapist is a beastly cow, give me a call. I'm sure I can find interesting ways to help you with your rehab, if you know what I mean."_

Nathan towelled off and headed into the living room, and pressed "play" on the answering machine. He grimaced as he heard the message, and had his finger hovered over the delete button. Before she could finish "..if you know what I mean", he hit delete and looked at the machine. Take a deep breath and rolling his eyes, he dialled Rachel's number, which she answered almost immediately.

"Hello."

"Hey Rachel, it's Nathan."

"Hey Nate, how the hell are you? I've been trying to reach for a while."

"Yeah, I know. I've just been really busy with my rehab. You know how it is – it's pretty brutal."

"I can imagine. Is there anything I can do? Can I come and see you?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he paused before responding: "Yeah, actually. I think we should catch up. We need to talk and I don't think we should do it over the phone."

"OK, I'll come over tomorrow night. We can have dinner and I'll bring dessert", she practically purred the last part down the phone, and Nathan nearly heaved.

"Actually, I was thinking you could come over mid-afternoon. I have an appointment in the morning, and then something else planned for the evening, so maybe you could get here around 2.30pm? It shouldn't take too long."

"Uhh, sure. I'll see you then."

"OK, see you then."

Nathan hung up with a small smile on his face. He was going to start regaining a bit of order in his life.

_**xx **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning: M rating for the last scene of the chapter**. If you think this warrants the whole story needing to be rated "M", let me know.

(Sorry if you have received multiples alerts about Chapter 10 - there have been some bugs in the system, which I hope have been fixed!)

I know I've been posting every few days, and you're probably wondering if/when I'll run out of steam. The reason I'm posting so quickly is simply because the big international move is coming up soon, and I think I may be able to get the story finished before I move. If I don't, then it's going to be a couple of months without updates, and I don't want to disappoint you guys since you've been so supportive of this story.

Anyways, here's Chapter 10:

* * *

Ronald was currently putting Nathan through his paces on the aqua treadmill. Nathan had down this particular exercise several times now, and he was becoming more experienced and relaxed with the process. He had to admit that being in the pool and exercising was a little embarrassing at first, but he realised that this was the best way to get back on that damned court with the Bobcats.

"OK, Mr Scott, that's it for today. Congratulations – you just scored yourself a new personal best."

He couldn't help it, he smiled greatly at hearing that. So far, so good.

"Thanks Ronald. That felt so much better today." He climbed out of the pool and grabbed the towel on the nearby bench.

"So, ah, Ronald, do you know if Haley James is in her office today?"

"I'm sorry, Mr Scott, I wouldn't know that. I've been giving all progress reports to Haley's colleague, Carly. Do you want me to take you up to Carly's section and you can talk to her?"

"Yeah, that'd be great Ronald. Just give me ten minutes to shower and change."

*****

Carly was on the phone, and typing something on her computer, nodding every so often and then writing something down. She saw Ronald waiting nearby and waved him over. As he approached with Nathan, she managed to say her goodbyes on the phone and turned her attention to the two men.

"Hi there. How'd it go today?"

"Nathan did really well Carly. Personal best today in fact. Here's the report." Ronald left the paperwork on her desk, before turning to leave, "Actually, Nathan wanted to talk to Haley, and I said you'd be the best person to know where she is. See you at the next appointment, Nathan." He patted Nathan on the shoulder before walking off.

"Hi Carly, I don't suppose you know if Haley's in today?"

"Actually, she's not. Can I leave her a message?"

Nathan looked slightly worried for some reason. "Is she OK, Carly?"

"I think so. All I know is she had some sort of personal emergency come up and she headed home."

"Her home here in Charlotte?"

"No, she drove to Tree Hill. Do you know where that is?"

He stood there looking even more worried. "Yeah, yeah I do. It's home for me too."

"Really?"

"Do you know when she's due back?"

"No – I think she's gone for at least a week."

"What about a home phone number for her?"

"Sorry, I don't have any of that. I haven't had to contact her, but I would just call her cell, I guess."

"Thanks Carly."

With that, Nathan moved a quickly as possible to his car and headed home. On the way there, he dialled Lucas, but he couldn't seem to get through. He then tried Haley's phone – no answer. He kept trying both numbers until he reached his house. He raced inside and headed straight for his bedroom, grabbing clothes out of his dresser and wardrobe and stuffing them into the nearest duffel bag. He figured he had another four hours of driving, which meant four hours of trying to call Lucas and Haley.

****

Nathan drove as fast as legally possible, overtaking several cars in quick succession. He took a break from dialling Lucas and Haley, and instead dialled Clay's number.

"Clay Evans."

"Clay, it's Nathan. Listen, I need a favour. I'm on my way to Tree Hill –"

"Is everything OK, Nate? You're supposed to have therapy today aren't you?"

"Yeah, it was first thing this morning. Anyway, I need the rest of my medical appointments cleared for a few days, as well as any team meetings. Can you do that for me?"

"Ah, yeah sure. Nate, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just need to sort out some urgent matters back home."

"OK, when you do think you'll be back?"

"I don't know. I'll call you when I have a better idea. Probably just a couple of days.

"OK, no problems. Just let me know if you need my help with anything."

"Actually, there is one more thing: I need you to call this girl, Rachel. I'll text through her number later, but we were supposed to meet at 2.30pm today. She's going to go ballistic, but just tell her I had an emergency and I'll call her later. Whatever you do, don't tell her I'm heading to Tree Hill. Things are going to be interesting enough without her there."

"Yeah, sure no problem. Don't worry about a thing, I'll get it sorted out. Good luck with everything."

Thanks. Talk to you later."

Nathan hung up and looked at the time – he figured he had about another two hours' drive before he reached Tree Hill and Haley. He had no idea what he would do or say when he saw her, but he just hoped she was ok, and that nothing serious had happened.

* * *

"Brooke! I cannot wear that and say that. As much as you've changed, you've also stayed the same."

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Haley" Brooked smiled as she threw clothing at Haley.

"Stop it, Brooke. Listen, not all of the world's problems can be fixed with a dirty mouth and crotchless panties. That is not going to achieve anything."

"I beg to differ Haley. You might just end up having the sluttiest sex and most intense orgasms of your life."

"Yeah, like that'd be tough to achieve."

"Oh really, do tell."

"Ah, no thanks. Look, _if_ I go back to Charlotte and talk to Nathan, I don't want it to end up like some bad porno. _If_ he and I talk this through and get us back on track, I want things to progress naturally."

"That's too many "ifs", Hales. Listen, I'm not trying to force any approach onto you. You gotta go do what you gotta do, OK? But do me one favour and at least wear matching underwear, please?"

Laughing at the face Brooke was currently sporting – one mixed with begging and anticipation, Haley nodded and gave her a warm hug.

They had not been the closest of friends in high school, but they spoke a fair bit when Brooke had started dating Lucas. No deep and meaningful conversations, but it was still friendly, girly chit-chat; mostly Brooke recommending hair styles and clothing tips for Haley. When Brooke and Lucas broke up, the two girls spoke occasionally, but they both knew Lucas was the reason they had originally started interacting.

Brooke, today, still had a bubbly personality and was certainly vivacious, but it had been toned down by her years of living, studying and working in New York. She could still create drama out of nothing, but every so often she would deliver pearls of wisdom that would have most people wondering where the old Brooke went.

"So listen Brooke, I'm actually thinking about heading back to Charlotte tomorrow. I don't know if you and Luke have anything planned, but I thought we might be able to grab some dinner tonight, y'know, kind of a "see ya back in Charlotte" farewell?"

"Hales, I'm on it. Don't you worry about a single thing. I'll get it organised, and we'll come to your place. I'll call Jake and Peyton and see if they're free?"

"Oh, absolutely. Remember, I'm staying at Marion's place. I'd hate for you to pitch up to my old house and surprise the Turners."

"Oh, ok. Thanks for the heads up - I almost forgot! So, we'll see you around 7.00pm, then?"

"Perfect, thanks again for the advice Brooke."

"Anytime sweetie."

Haley headed back to pack and get ready for dinner. Her family home had been sold upon her graduating from high school, and her parents cashed in and bought an RV to travel around the country. Their departure from Tree Hill gave Haley no real reason to return home for visits, however her family had formed close relationships while living in Tree Hill and Marion was one such friend. Marion was a collector and re-seller of crafts and antiques, and she sourced said items from all across the country. She was often away weeks at a time, so when Haley called to see if she would be available for a visit, Marion informed her that she was away in Georgia, but that Haley was free to stay in her house while she was gone. She'd known Haley long enough to know there was more going on with Haley than her just wanting to visit Tree Hill.

After finishing her packing, Haley took a shower and laid her clothes out for dinner. Still in her robe, she sat down on the bed and rubbed her tired eyes. Looking at the time, she gave herself an hour or so to take a nap before getting ready for dinner.

* * *

Normally, Nathan's first port of call in Tree Hill was at his mother's house, but not today. He need to speak to Haley first, and until that happened, Deb was going to have to wait. On this visit, he figured his first stop would be to Lucas. Turning the corner into Riverview Drive, Nathan pulled up in front of the pale yellow house which sat on the corner. He hoped to God that Lucas would fill in a few missing blanks and tell him where Haley was.

Inside, Brooke and Lucas were sitting down in the living room, enjoying a glass of wine and chatting about Tree Hill. They were laughing about one of the million crazy things Tim Smith supposedly did, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Don't get up, Luke, I've got it." Brooke placed her glass on the table and opened the door.

"Nathan! How are you? What are you doing here?" she couldn't stop all the questions spewing out. She reached out to hug him, and he barely hugged her as he walked into the house.

"I'm good Brooke, how are you?"

"Fine", she shrugged, looking at Lucas with wide eyes.

Lucas hopped up from the wooden floors and went over to greet his brother. He quickly exchanged glances with Brooke, before offering Nathan a seat. Brooke stood before them both and offered to get them a drink, hinting at coffee, so that she could leave the room for a while. Both brothers nodded at her offer, and she left the room quickly to start making their coffee. Along the way, she diverted to Lucas's room and grabbed her cell, dialling Haley's number as quickly as possible. Remembering that Haley was most likely not answering her phone, she hung up and went back to the living room.

"Umm, Luke, can I borrow you for just a quick second please? I just need you to point me in the right direction of a few things here."

"Yeah, sure. Nate, just give me a second, OK?"

Lucas walked down but Brooked grabbed him and dragged him into his bedroom.

"Luke!" she waved her arms around maniacally.

"I know, calm down Brooke."

"I tried to call Haley, but I forgot she's got the whole "no answering phone" thingy this week", Brooke whispered, using finger quotes and putting her hands on her hips. "Have you got the number for Marion's? I really think we should give her a heads up on Nathan being here." At this point, Brooke started to fan herself with her hand. The inner-drama queen was starting to emerge.

"OK, ok. Deep breaths, Brooke. I think my mom might have it in the phone book beside the phone in the kitchen. If it's not there, don't worry – we'll still find a way to call her."

They both snuck out of the room and into the kitchen, Lucas helping to get a few things out for the coffee before returning to Nathan in the living room.

"Everything OK, man?"

"Yeah, Brooke just needed a hand finding where everything was kept. So this is a surprise."

"Yeah, it is. I suppose you know about Haley being in Tree Hill?"

Lucas studied Nathan for a moment before giving his response. His brother looked calm, and that was a pleasant surprise to Lucas. Usually Nathan was so hot headed and impossible to reason with.

"Yeah, actually. I did know she was here."

"How is she, Luke?" his face changed from hopeful to concerned in a split second.

"She's good man. She just needed to get out of Charlotte and breathe. I think she might be glad to see you, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you know how I can reach her? I really want to see her, and make sure things are OK."

"I'll go check and see if the number is in mom's address book. She's house sitting for a family friend. If it's not there, we can drive over together."

"Thanks, man."

Luke walked past Brooke, who carrying a tray out with coffee and condiments. She set it down on the coffee table and placed the mug near Nathan.

"So…" Brooke began.

"So" Nathan returned.

"OK, not that I know anything, but I think you coming here was a wise move."

"And why do you say that, Brooke?"

"Just is. But it was also a good idea for Haley to come here too, y'know? She needed it."

Nathan regarded her as he took a sip of coffee and sat back in the seat, letting everything sink in. Neither Lucas or Brooke told him it was a mistake to come here, and he hoped to God that Haley would feel the same way when he saw her.

Nathan put the mug back down when Lucas came back in. He looked at him in anticipation of a phone number, but Lucas was already shaking his head.

"Sorry, man. I don't have Marion's number, but I do know where she lives. I know I said I would drive over there with you, but maybe you should go on your own. Y'know, talk to her without a third party in the way."

"Thanks, Luke."

Lucas handed Nathan some paper with the address on it, and Nathan nodded as he read it aloud. He knew where this was – Tree Hill wasn't that small, but it was fairly easy to navigate around. It would only take him five minutes to drive there.

"Listen, Nate. I don't know exactly how to say this, but…I'm really impressed with how you're handling all of this. Don't take offence, but if this had been a year ago, heck, even a few months ago, you would have been completely unreasonable and demanding. This version of you – the calmer, more patience version – this is the version of you that is going to be successful, no matter what happens."

Nathan smiled at the comment from Lucas. Since graduating from high school, their relationship had been solid, and they treated each other with respect. They still had the odd disagreement, but it was always quickly resolved. Lucas, however, always noted that Nathan never formed closed relationships with women, and had little time for the notion of "romance". To some, he may have come across as a womaniser, but as long as the relationship remained strong between the two brothers, Lucas rarely interfered in Nathan's life. Until now.

Nathan thanked Luke again and headed out to his car. Lucas and Brooked watched from the doorway, as Nathan drove off. Lucas put his arm around Brooke's shoulders and led her back inside.

"Luke, what are we going to do? I wanted to contact Haley to let her know he was here, and he's just going to show up and surprise her. She's going to kill us."

"Maybe not. Maybe this is exactly what they both need right now."

* * *

**["M" rated section]**

A short burst of knocking, followed by the doorbell, startled Haley from her sleep. Sitting bolt upright, she ran a hand through her hair and looked at the clock on the bedside table. She hadn't overslept, which was a good thing, but a visitor was the last thing she needed right now, as she needed to get ready for dinner with everyone.

Hopping up from the bed, she tightened her robe and walked downstairs to the front door. The visitor rang the doorbell again, and Haley muttered to herself about impatience as she reached for doorknob. She left the safety latch on, and opened the door as far as the chain would allow.

"Yes, can I help –"

"Hi"

"Nathan! What the hell are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Can I come in? Please?"

Haley stayed rooted to her spot, completely taken aback by Nathan's presence. She shook her head in disbelief as she closed the door, undid the latch, and re-opened the door. She watched as a small smile formed on Nathan's face, and she motioned for him to come in.

As he walked in, he noticed she was wearing a small robe, and wasn't sure if he had had come over at a bad time.

"Sorry if I've interrupted anything."

"No, not really. I was just taking a nap. I have dinner plans tonight."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just…" Nathan took a sharp breath as he sat down on the sofa. Haley could see he was struggling to say something, and joined him on the sofa.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you to make sure you were OK. I had an appointment at the hospital, and I asked Ronald if you were in today. Y'know, we hadn't spoken since Dr Perry's appointment, and I didn't want to bother you, so I have been going to my therapy appointments at the hospital and just giving you some space. I had no idea you weren't there. Anyway, Ronald took me up to see Carly and she told me you left for some sort of emergency or something. I got worried." He shrugged his shoulders in a "so sue me" kind of way, before looking down at his hands which were resting on his knees.

Haley watched closely as he explained what led him back to Tree Hill. Something about him seemed different, less hot-headed. She turned further around so that she was facing him more directly.

"Nathan, I don't know what to say. I came home because I was a little scared, a little overwhelmed by how fast things were happening. Well, to me it was fast, anyway. One of my last memories of you is from high school, and I swear you had kissed three girls in one day!" they both laughed a little at the thought before she continued, "You have every right to be a different person, and you also have every right to stay the same. I just didn't know who I was dealing with. Since high school and college, you've become this celebrity, and people have this notion of you, that I admit buying into. I kinda got sucked into all, and I just didn't know how to deal with the situation. I didn't know if you liked me for the moment, or you liked me as something beyond a one-night stand."

"Haley, how could you think –"

"Nathan, please. I'm not proud of making assumptions like I have. I'm not usually like that, and I think I just got scared about the prospect of entering into a relationship with you. I mean, I know we went to high school together, but we never took the time to get to know each other, until now. I'm…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I showed you no respect for your job or your position when you tried to explain the ethics situation at the hospital. I was too bullish to see any other side to the situation except my own."

Haley reached out and grabbed his hands, giving him a reassuring look.

"We are quite the pair, aren't we?"

"We most certainly are."

"So, Nathan. What do we do now? I mean, this just seemed too easy to forgive and forget. Don't get me wrong, we certainly needed to, but I'm just curious where this leaves us now."

"Here's the thing, Hales; my feelings for you haven't changed. I still care about you and I think there's something here between us -"

"Me too."

"But, I think you're right about work. If this is meant to become something major, then I don't think a few more weeks of waiting are going to be any problem. I want to keep things separate too, and not blur any lines."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Nathan Scott?" she joked, and they both smiled at that. Nathan inched closer to her and they interlaced their hands again while staring at each other.

"I mean it, Hales. We can work this out."

Haley sat there, looking at Nathan, his eyes full of sincerity, and she had never wanted someone so badly before. Leaning forward, she placed a hand on his jaw line and kissed him gently. She pulled away and blushed at her actions.

"Nathan, I'm glad that we're on the same page and we have intentions to pick this up in a couple of weeks, but what if I ask to be re-assigned? That way we can be together now, without any conflict of interest?"

"Is that what you want?"

"Ha ha, loaded question. But yes, I'm sitting here right now, wanting nothing more than to be with you – and maybe it's a simple as me getting re-assigned from your case."

"Dr Perry says you're the best therapist at the hospital. He only wants the best people treating me. What are you going to tell him?"

She looked away for a moment, before considering her response.

"Do you want me to keep treating you?"

"I want the best there is, too. But I also want you."

Haley and Nathan then both inched closer, and Nathan cupped Haley's face before kissing her softly. He continued kissing her as her hands grabbed his shoulders, then wrapped around his neck and spiking through his hair. Their kisses were increasing in heat and desire, and their tongues were tasting each other.

Nathan moved a hand down from her face, and traced the "v" of where her robe covered her chest. Further down he traced, over the knot in the tie, down over stomach, and again over the "^" of where the robe separated over her thighs. He touched her skin, which was warm and inviting, and his hand ran under the robe and up along her thighs. Heat radiated from Haley as Nathan's hand explored further, and he soon realised that she was completely naked under the robe.

He broke the kiss for a moment to look in her eyes, and all he saw was pure, unadulterated lust. She smiled back at him, and in that moment, he knew he had to have her completely. His hand was still under her robe, and he ran it around the outside of her thigh and cupped her backside, rubbing back and forth in small motions.

Haley's heart beat was increasing at the touch of Nathan's hands, and she reached for the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head. Once it was discarded to the floor, she closed the distance again and began kissing him with everything she had. Her hands roamed his body, and she loved the feel of his muscles under her touch. His skin was smooth, but the muscles to taut and tight, and only the slight flinch of them was felt as she ran her fingers over his abs.

Nathan moved both hands to Haley's waist, and picked her up from the sofa, and gently lifted her to his lap, her legs either side of him. She was now more open to him, and the rope separated further across her legs. He could see her more exposed now, and reached up high, just above the knotted tie of the robe, and separated the robe completely – she was now naked to his eyes and he could see how turned on she was by the diamond hard nipples his hands itched to touch.

Haley leaned down to kiss him again, and his hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs gently rolling over her nipples. Her back arched, pushing her further into his chest, and he moved his hands away to feel skin on skin. Haley then traced over Nathan's abs again, and went straight for the button and zipper on his pants. Her hand reached inside and she dragged the back of her hand against his erection. Nathan moved slowly against her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she was gently stroking him as she rose up and down in time with her hand movements.

Nathan kicked off his shoes, and pushed his pants the rest of the way off, leaving him completely naked, with a similarly naked Haley hovering over him on the sofa, save for the robe which was now practically falling off. Nathan moved to the knotted tie, and slowly undid it, letting it fall to her sides as he then pushed the garment off her shoulders and letting is slide to the ground.

His hands went back to her ass, cupping her and bringing her closer to him. It was impossible to feel close enough, and with Haley's hand still stroking him up and down, the sensation was almost becoming too much. Nathan placed a hand over hers to still her movements, but she was still able to move her hand up and down despite his best attempts to stop her. She pulled back a little and had nothing but mischief in her eyes, and Nathan smirked back at her. He removed his hand from hers, and drew lazy patterns on the top of her thighs as he inched closer to her hot, wet heat. Running his index finger around in circles, he dragged it slowly to her clit and pushed gently on the bud. Haley lolled her head back at the sensation, as Nathan continued repeating the action. It was Haley's turn to remove her hand from his erection, and place it over his, stilling his movements. She inched his hand ever-so lower and Nathan inserted a finger slowly, loving the velvety feeling of her surrounding him. He allowed himself a few more moments of pleasuring her before it became too much for him, and then he removed his finger and traced slowly around her clit again. The sensations rattled through Haley, and she kissed him hungrily.

Pulling back, Nathan kept an arm around her as he leaned forward to pick up his pants, and asked Haley to remove the condom in his wallet. Tearing it open, Haley slowly sheathed him, and Nathan closed his eyes at the feeling. Again, Haley stroked him a few times as she lowered herself on him, and when he was fully inside her, they both stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Lust, desire, want, need, all played out on their faces, as Haley began a rhythmic movement up and down, starting slow and building gradually. They kissed again and again, nipping at each other necks, shoulders and anywhere they could reach. Nathan was the first to feel his release, and his body shuddered and intensified as Haley kept riding him until she reached her orgasm. They both still moved together until the sensations had fully coursed through them, and when it finished, they held each other close, kissing again gently and softly until pulling away and resting their foreheads against the other.

"I have wanted to make love to you ever since you walked into my house for therapy."

Haley smiled at Nathan and cupped his face.

"Oh, really? Is that so? I must admit, you're the sexiest patient I've ever seen….naked!" Nathan laughed at her, and smacked her gently on her backside.

"So, I don't think we actually sorted out what we're going to do when we get back to Charlotte."

Haley nodded and put her hands on his shoulders.

"I want to keep treating you, and I want to be with you, Nathan. But I don't think it's anyone's business if we keep it to ourselves. I'm willing to risk it for us. So, we go back to Charlotte together, and we keep "us" quiet. Until you're healed, what we have is just for us."

There were no looks of ecstasy on their faces – just a realisation that they had a made a risky choice if anyone at the hospital found out. They stared at each other longingly, both wishing they never had to leave Tree Hill.

_**xx**_


	11. Chapter 11

Hi everyone. Sorry if you got two notices about Chapter 10 – in one view I had, there was formatting issues, so I had to re-post it, and then there was a general FF glitch. Oh well, these things happen.

Just a quick shout out: **angel** – thanks for your reviews. You've been pretty good with your theories, and I wonder if you're right again? Time will tell. ;-)

So, away we go, Chapter 11:

* * *

Lucas, Brooke, Jake, Peyton and Jenny all turned up for dinner as agreed. For Jake and Peyton, seeing Nathan at dinner was a surprise, and Peyton raised her eyebrows at Haley when they walked through the front door.

The conversation flowed freely over dinner, however with Jenny there, the tone and content of conversation was definitely kept PG-rated. Brooke looked restless and tried several times to get Haley alone so she could bombard her with a million and one questions. Both Nathan and Haley looked relaxed, a little guarded, but generally relaxed. Brooked had surmised that they talked at the very least, and made some progress about where they were headed, but she thought there might be more to it.

After dessert had been cleared away, everyone headed to the living room, except Brooke, who stayed behind to help Haley clear away.

"Haley Beth James, what the hell is going on with you and Nathan?"

"Hey! How do you know my middle name?"

"Lucas told me, but that's beside the point. I want to talk to you about Nathan."

"What do you want to know Brooke?"

"Did your bra match your panties?" both of them stared at each other for a split second before cracking up with laughter.

"Brooke! That's personal. But if you must know, he came over when I woke up from a nap. I had nothing on except my robe."

"What? Oh, this is good. Tell me more. Did you have slutty sex? I bet you did."

"Who says we had sex? We talked, thank you very much."

"Oh please. I cannot believe you remained in a robe while having a conversation with Nathan. Did he just rip it from your body, and push you back on the bed?" Brooked winked while gripping her necklace. Haley thought Brooke was a second away from fanning her face with her hand.

"You're incorrigible, Brooke."

Peyton walked into the kitchen with some empty glasses to be washed up. As Haley was reaching under the counter for more detergent, Brooke was mouthing "_she had sex with Nathan_" to Peyton.

"Haley!" Peyton yelled out.

"What? Ouch!" she clipped her elbow on the counter as she stood up.

Both Brooke and Peyton were looking at her.

"Brooke!" Haley said, hands on her hips.

"What?"

"Haley – you had sex with Nathan. OK, spill" Peyton refilled their glasses with wine as she sat down on one of the bar stools.

"Uh ladies, I hate to disappoint you, but nothing happened", even as she spoke the words, her face was flush and she knew they weren't buying into it. She turned back to the sink and started washing up and placing the washed items on the dish rack.

Nathan then walked into the kitchen with some other things to be washed up, and all three women whipped their heads around to him.

"What didn't happen?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing, Nathan. They were just asking –"

"We just wanted to know about you and Haley, and how things went this afternoon. Just curious if you guys got a _hold_ of the situation and reached a _climax_…ahh, I mean, reached a conclusion that was mutually satisfiable?" Brooke nudged Peyton as she said this, and Peyton covered her mouth with the back of hand, trying to stifle a laugh.

Nothing was lost on Nathan, nor on Haley. He looked at Haley, giving her a wink only she could see, and turned to Brooke, as he dried off some glasses on the dish rack.

"Actually, Brooke, Haley and I had a great conversation. We sat on the sofa and spoke at _great length_. If you must know, it was the best conversation I've ever had."

He placed the dried glasses in the cupboard and whistled as he walked past them back into the living room.

Haley stood there, leaning against the counter, head in her hands, as Brooke and Peyton laughed and threw their dishtowels at her.

*****

Jenny was fast asleep on Jake's lap when the girls re-entered. Peyton collected their coats and quietly said goodbye to everyone. Hugging Haley, she whispered in her ear, "You deserve to be happy, so don't be scared to do what you have to, to protect it."

"Thanks, Peyt. That means a lot."

"Ok, take care, and don't be a stranger. Come and visit more often, alright?"

"You bet, and now that Nathan's hooking Jake up with home tickets, I guess we'll see you guys in Charlotte as well."

"Looking forward to it. See ya, Foxy."

After a final round of "goodbyes", Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Brooke went back into the living room and sat down on the matching sofas. Brooke melted instantly into Lucas's side, as he placed his arm around her shoulders, while Nathan and Haley sat static on the other sofa.

All through the evening, neither one had attempted overt PDA to avoid any questioning, and even after the little "moment of truth" in the kitchen, they were still reluctant to show any affection toward each other. But now, sitting here on the sofa, soft music playing in the background, and watching Lucas and Brooke make googly-eyes at each other, they took the opportunity to move closer, as Haley rested her head on Nathan's shoulder. He leaned forward and cupped her face as he kissed her gently and then again on the forehead. She closed her eyes at the feeling, and sighed contentedly.

Lucas mustered up the courage to speak first.

"So guys, I don't mean to pry or anything, but judging by this, it looks like you've worked things out?"

"Yeah, we have. I'm going to keep treating Nathan, but we're going to keep things quiet."

"Is…is that the best option? I mean, don't shoot me, I'm all for you guys. I just want to make sure there's no major problems for you down the road."

"I know, Luke, and we appreciate the concern. Seeing Nathan today made me realise I couldn't wait to be with him. And what the hospital doesn't know won't hurt them…I hope."

Nathan and Haley looked at each again and tightened their grip on each other's hands.

"Luke, we know it's not ideal, but it's not like we'd be flaunting the relationship in public anyway. We'll keep things separate and we won't let one interfere with the other."

Moving off the sofa to put her shoes on, Brooke gave a warm smile.

"Well, I for one am happy for you guys. You deserve to be happy and in love."

Both Haley and Nathan looked at her when she mentioned the word "love".

"Brooke –

"You're a little ahead of –"

"Ah, ah, ah, shhh, shhh. I'm just putting it out there, OK? I mean, why else would you go to such lengths to be together? C'mon, Broody, let's leave these two to "talk" some more."

Exchanging hugs, and words of thanks, the two couples said goodbye, and Nathan and Haley watched Lucas and Brooke drive off. They stood on the porch for a moment after the car left, and Nathan hugged her from behind. With her hands over his, Haley tapped him gently and motioned to go back inside.

"So, are you ready to head back to it all tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm not worried about facing anything back in Charlotte. We'll deal with it when we have to, Nathan."

"You're very brave, Haley James."

"You make me brave, Nathan Scott. OK that was exceptionally cheesy, but you know what I mean."

"No, no I don't think I do. I think we should have a _conversation_ about this upstairs in bed."

"It's Marion's bed, we can't!"

"So we'll have a _conversation_ in the spare room."

Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and led her upstairs, both of them laughing all the way at the type of _conversation_ he wanted to have with her.

* * *

Lucas woke early the next morning and disentangled himself from Brooke's sleeping embrace. He put on a t-shirt and went out into the kitchen with his laptop and set about making some coffee. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he started up his laptop and opened one of his saved files that contained bullet points for the next manuscript that he was working on. He added some more points after considering the turn of events of the past seventy-two hours.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee brought Brooke sleep-walking into the kitchen as she tied a small knot in her robe. She went over to Lucas and kissed him on the forehead before reaching for some bottled water in the refrigerator.

Taking a seat opposite him, she took a quick sip of water and observed his look of concentration.

"How are you this morning, Cheery?"

"I'm good, very good. But what in God's name are you doing up this early? We're on a mini-break, Lucas"

"I know, but I kinda had some inspiration for my draft notes, and I wanted to put them down before I forget them" he said, pointing and tapping his head.

"Oh yeah, can you tell me what it's about?"

"Well, it's still early stages, but the response from the first manuscript was so well received, that I feel compelled to keep writing."

"Like a sequel?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I often wondered what happened to those people after the first story finished."

"Lucas – those people are us, all of us. Now you know, are you going to write from where the last one left off, or pick up from what's happened since we all came back to Tree Hill?"

"I don't know. I guess that's why I'm just making draft notes now. I'll figure it out later, but I'll need to get everyone's permission to keep going, I guess."

"Well, you have my permission to write how fabulous I am."

"That you are, Brooke." He leant in gave her a warm kiss, before tapping a few more keys and making some short notes.

"Are you writing about that kiss, Lucas?"

"Mmm, maybe. You'll just have to wait and see."

The percolator had finished brewing and Brooke went over to pour two cups. As she stirred in sugar and cream, and turned around and leaned against the cabinets.

"Do you think Nathan and Haley will be OK back in Charlotte?"

"I hope so, for their sake."

"You don't think they've taken the right approach, do you?"

"It's not that, Brooke. Anyone can see they're crazy about each other, and they should be together. I just worry about the professional aspect of things. Haley's not the only one who faces problems for getting involved with a patient. The Bobcats won't be too thrilled about a player being involved with a professional consultant to the team. I mean, it's widely frowned upon for players and cheerleaders to get involved, so this is going to cause problems if it's not addressed properly".

Brooked laughed at his comment, and had to put her mug back down on the countertop.

"What's so funny, Brooke?"

"Oh nothing, except that you basically called cheerleaders professional consultants. That is hysterical."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. Well, you at least compared them to professional consultants by putting them in the same breath as one."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes I do, Luke. But promise me you'll never mention that comparison again to another living soul."

Watching him shake his head and laugh, Brooke walked over with the coffee mugs and sat on his lap. She put her arms around him, and hugged him close.

"What about us, Lucas? Will we be OK too when we head back separately to Charlotte and New York?"

He stared up at her and gave her a small smile.

"Of course we will, Pretty Girl. We'll figure it out, you'll see."

* * *

The drive back to Charlotte had been silent at times, but it had not been uncomfortable silence. Nathan had made a few stops along the way for them to stock up on refreshments, or stretch their legs, but as lunch time grew close, the signs to Charlotte increased as the mileage remaining decreased. Even in the silence, they exchange smiles and kept holding hands. They believed they had taken the right approach to their relationship.

Weaving through the outer suburbs, Haley gave directions to her house, while explaining what had drawn her to this house in this part of the neighbourhood. Nathan watched with rapt fascination as she became animated about the local neighbourhood co-ops and street markets, as well as cafes and restaurants that bought out the eclectic side of the residents.

Turning into her street, Nathan could see instantly why Haley was drawn to this part of Charlotte. It seemed lively, but quiet at the same time. Each home was different, but well maintained. Older architectural designs sat alongside new build homes, and the streets were lined with leafy green trees. Just about anybody could feel at home here.

Pointing to a house on the right as hers, Nathan turned into the driveway and came to a stop. He jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around to help Haley out of the car. Quickly opening the rear door, he took her bag out and walked her to her front door. Once Haley had managed to open the front door, she stood with Nathan for a moment, and for the first time, they both felt awkward – like they were teenagers finishing their first date.

"So, um, would you like to come in?"

"Like you wouldn't believe…"

"But…"

"I probably should touch base with Clay and find out if anything went wrong. Plus I've got to beg and grovel to get my medical appointments re-set. I had him cancel a week's worth – if only I'd known my absence would be twenty four hours, not seven days."

"What a pity you don't know anyone who works at the hospital" she winked at him.

"Yeah, such a shame. I guess I'll just get shunted down the order of things, and they'll fit me in whenever."

Making an "aww" sound, Haley leant up and kissed him gently as her arm went around his neck and gently ran over the ends of his hair. She was not prepared to say goodbye just yet, but knew that the outside world was here and present, and wouldn't wait for the two of them.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then? Have Clay speak directly with Carla today, and I'm sure those lost appointments will be magically reinstated. Come up and see me when you've finished your session with Ronald."

"Sure thing." He gave her another kiss before returning to his car. Haley watched and waved as he drove off into the distance.

* * *

Nathan had finished unpacking and settled back into his place. Along the way home, he had called Clay to get his help setting up the medical appointments, and Clay had suggested coming over to Nathan's to discuss some business opportunities and endorsements.

That had been an hour ago, and now Nathan was in his home gym working out. He heard his phone ringing, and made his way back into the living room to hear the answering machine kick in. It was Rachel, _again_.

"_Nathan, it's Rachel. I got a call from some guy named Clay who claimed to be your agent, which is ridiculous because Lucas is your agent. Anyway, he basically told me to stay away from you after telling me you couldn't meet up yesterday. I tried to come over yesterday, but your gate was locked. Listen, I'm not being rude, but I think we need to talk. If this _Clay_ guy is your agent, then can you call me and let me know? I have other things to talk to you about, and we should definitely –"_

"Hey, Rachel" his tone was flat and devoid of emotion.

"Nathan! Oh my God, how are you? Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. And I think we need to take a step back and go our separate ways."

"Wait. What? I don't understand."

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I really would have rather we did this in person, because that would be the civil way to do things, but – "

"Nathan, what's going on? I thought we had a good thing going on. No strings attached; great sex whenever and wherever…-"

"Rachel, without sounding too harsh, judging by the number of times you've called, I think you put too great a value on what we had. You thought it was more than no strings attached, didn't you?"

"Nathan, c'mon. We had our moments, right? It was great."

"I think you're fighting too hard to keep this alive, Rachel. Like I said, it's time to go our separate ways. I'm in a relationship with someone, and it's a relationship that means a lot to me."

"No. No. No. How could you possibly be in a serious relationship so soon after us?"

"Rachel, we were never in a relationship! This is where you and I see differently. Whatever we had is done, OK, and you need to move on. I'm sorry if you thought there was more to it, but we've been done a long time. Look, I have to go. Take care of yourself."

"Nathan –"

"Goodbye Rachel."

He hung up the phone just as the doorbell rang. Feeling proud of himself for finally dealing with Rachel, he opened the door with a smile, which Clay thought was for him.

"Hey Nate, great to see you too buddy!"

"Hey Clay."

Both men ambled down the hall and into the kitchen area. Nathan grabbed two beers out of the fridge and they sat at the kitchen counter.

"So did you get everything sorted out in Tree Hill?"

"I did, thanks. I didn't think it would be a whirlwind mercy dash, but there you go. Thanks for getting my appointments reinstated, by the way."

"No problems, that's what I'm here for. So listen, I called that Rachel women. Wow! What a piece of work. Is she always that unhinged, or am I reading her wrong?"

"Funny you should mention her. I just got off the phone with her as you rang the doorbell. She thought she was being punked, because she didn't realise you were my agent."

"What did she have to say?"

"Same old sob story. She's a famewhore. Or wannabe famewhore. She thinks she'll get mentioned in the tabloids if she's seen with me, but each time she calls, she doesn't realise what a psycho she seems. I'm gonna have to change my number; home and cell. Can you remind me to do that today?"

"Uh, sure. Are you serious about that?"

"Deadly. I'm *this* close to looking at moving."

"Nate, no. I love this place. Your pool area alone is worth the price of admission."

"Glad my house meets your approval."

"So, uh, this mercy dash. Did it involve a woman?"

Nathan stared at Clay. He knew he was going to have to give over some of his personal life if this relationship with Clay was going to work. He started peeling off the label on his bottle of beer as he spoke.

"Haley. I heard she left Charlotte for an emergency back in Tree Hill, and I wanted to make sure she was OK."

"Haley. As in Haley James, your therapist? As in Haley James, old high school friend? And now your girlfriend?" he hedged, smiling as he drank more of his beer.

"Are you always this annoyingly nosy?"

"Hey, I only know what you want me to know, OK?"

Nathan rolled his eyes at Clay, as he continued peeling the label.

"We're keeping things under the radar, OK Clay? I mean it, no one can know. Outside of a few close people in Tree Hill, including Lucas, only you know."

"Sure, no problem, man. So it's serious then?"

Nathan paused for a moment as he allowed a small smile to form.

"Yeah, yeah it is. The kind of serious that changes your life."

"Well, here's to that, then. Just don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

They raised their bottles in mock salute to Clay's toast; Nathan allowing himself to think that far down the line for the first time – surprisingly, nothing about it seemed remotely unattractive, as long as he had Haley.

_**XX**_


	12. Chapter 12

So, with all of the travel problems across Europe recently, it delayed my move by another week, which gave me a chance to squeeze this chapter out before I have to finish the last of the packing and clearing out the house. I thought I would have this story finished, but I guess there was a bit more to tell than I had anticipated!

With this chapter, I thought I'd be terrible and give you some **M rated **Naley, then leave the chapter as sort of a cliff-hanger until I get settled! Ha ha Now I can go and head up network TV, right?

Thanks again for the love, whether it be casually reading the story; submitting an alert for updates, or leaving reviews – y'all are great! Remember, let me know if you think the rating should be moved from "T" to "M". Only a few chapters left!!

Chapter 12:

* * *

_It is an experience common to all men to find__ that, on any special occasion……everything that __can__ go wrong __will__ go wrong. Whether we must attribute this to the malignity of matter or to the total depravity of inanimate things, whether the exciting cause is hurry, worry, or what not, the fact remains. __**Nevil Maskelyne, 1908**__._

_Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way. __**Finagle's corollary to Murphy's Law**__._

* * *

He was going to tell her that he was in love with her. Deeply, madly, blindingly in love with her. Unspoken, he was certain they both felt the same way. It was something already between them, but they had yet to say it. Others had hinted at it early on, and what they had done to be together was evidence enough. Neither one of them would normally risk so much to be with somebody else unless they were in love.

Yes, he was going to tell her that he was in love with her. He just wanted to find the right moment.

*****

It was almost if he had an extra spring in his step as he was put through his paces during therapy. Ronald was smiling as he saw Nathan _enjoying_ his therapy and the results were inspiring to say the least. Nathan was certainly on track to a successful comeback, but the question still remained as to when.

Once the session was over, Nathan showered and changed, deciding to pay Haley a surprise visit. He made his way to her floor, and saw Carly milling around outside near the photocopier, bundles of files in her hands.

"Hey Nathan, how are today? Glad you could make your appointments again"

"Yeah, thanks for your help, Carly. Is Haley in? I wanted to update her on the session I just had."

"She sure is. She's just finishing up on a call, but you should be OK to go in."

"Thanks Carly."

Walking in, he placed his gym bag by one of the seats opposite her desk, as he sat down. She smiled at him as she made "blah blah blah/talk" motions with her hand. He winked at her and then took a moment to look around her office. He had never paid much attention before, but now he was noticing all of her achievements which were framed and hung up on the wall. She really was a valued member of the hospital, let alone her department. Her UNC degree sat proudly in the middle and was surrounded by other awards from the hospital and various charities in the Charlotte community. He smiled again – belated pride at the recognition she had garnered.

Hanging up the phone, she made a "Grrrrr" noise and then laughed softly.

"Sorry about that. Just one of those calls where you can't get off the phone quick enough. How are you? How was your session?"

"Great. Fantastic, actually. I just hope today's reports say the same."

"I'm sure they will. I'm just really glad to see you positive about it all. You know there's a lot of research out there that shows patients with a healthy mental attitude heal better and quicker."

"Oh yeah, why's that?"

"When you're positive you release feel good hormones. They're the same hormones needed for healing."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. So I take it you're going to be Mr Positive from here on in?"

"Only on one condition"

"What's that?"

"As long as I have you by my side."

Charmed by the sentiment, Haley blushed before extended her hand to shake Nathan's.

"Deal."

At that moment, Dr Perry suddenly entered Haley's office, but had only witnessed the handshake. He looked on with amusement, part of him wondering what deal they had made.

"Haley. Great to see you back in the office. Hello, Nathan, how are things?"

Both of them startled a little, wondering how much of their conversation Dr Perry had witnessed.

"Everything's great Dr Perry. Nathan just came to tell me how great today's session was."

As they were talking, Carly knocked on the door with Nathan's file in her hands.

"Well, since I'm here, let me have a look at the latest chart" Dr Perry took the file and examined the latest paperwork, reviewing it with Haley and speaking in a rash of medical jargon that Nathan could only shake his head at. He sat there, however, in complete awe as he watched Haley match Dr Perry's jargon, word for word. From what he could see, Dr Perry completely respected her professional opinion, and took a lot of it on board when forming decisions. _My girl's a certified genius_, he thought to himself.

"So, Nathan, based on the schedule, you have a few sessions here and at the team gym before we're due to meet with management. This is looking really promising – well done."

Nathan sat there looking really chuffed with himself. He nodded his head at Dr Perry before standing to take his leave.

"Well, thanks for the positive feedback. It's keeping me motivated."

He shook hands with Dr Perry and then again with Haley, before walking out of her office and heading across town to team HQ.

As he watched Nathan leave, Dr Perry walked over and shut the door to Haley's office before turning back around and sitting down at her desk.

"So, Haley. I know you just got back today, and you have a few days' worth of work to catch up on, but I wanted to check in with you and make sure everything is OK."

Haley was worried that Dr Perry knew about her situation, but didn't want to disclose too much at this point. She was still worried about any repercussions from any admission, and decided to play her cards close to her chest.

"Everything is fine, Dr Perry. In the end, everything turned out well, and I can only apologise for taking leave at such short notice. If I had've known things were going to turn out OK, I wouldn't have gone back to Tree Hill in the first place."

"Haley, first of all, how many times do I have to remind you to call me "Richard"? And secondly, you're human – sometimes we have things in our lives that come up unexpectedly and we need to deal with it urgently. Family does that to us." He smiled as he watched her taking it all in and formulating her response.

"I know Dr P-…Richard. Thank you for understanding. I promise I won't let it get in the way of work again. I'm really thankful to be working with such a great team, and I really appreciate the guidance you give us all. It means a lot."

"Haley, there's no need to thank me. Seeing all of you so focused and dedicated to your work is what matters. I am very grateful to work with such a professional team, who put the interests of the patients first. Just between you and me, you have a very bright future here at the hospital."

"Thank you."

"Alright, we should catch up later, in particular on Nathan Scott's case. I have surgery scheduled this afternoon, but any time after that is fine. Ok, now back to work for all of us!" Dr Perry smiled as he took leave and left Haley to ponder his words. She smiled at the thought of promotion and advancement and slowly blew out the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

It was certainly an interesting start to her day.

* * *

Nathan had gathered his gym gear from the back of his car and made his way through the secured car park to the team gym. Today's inspired session at the hospital had him feeling upbeat and he was determined to carry that feeling through today's gym session. He could, in all honesty, do most of these exercises at his home gym, but it was important to remain integrated in the team's processes and to have the team's athletic director overseeing his progress. So far, everyone was on the same page in terms of progress, and he was counting down the time until he could return to the squad full time.

"Nate! Hey man, wait up."

It was Clay. He had business in the city but wanted to speak to Nathan about some overnight updates he had received on endorsements.

"Hey Clay, what's up?"

"How'd your session go this morning?"

"Great. So far, so good."

"Awesome. Listen, you're here for gym work, aren't you? Have you got ten or twenty minutes afterwards to sit and chat about off-season endorsements and some financials I think you'll want to know about?"

"Uh, yeah sure. I was just going to head home, I guess. I'm here for about an hour. Have you got other business with the executives?"

"Yeah I do. I'll probably be done in an hour as well, so we can meet back here then?"

"Yeah, sure. See you then."

"Oh Nate, you haven't had any more calls from Rachel have you?"

"No. I think she's still in shock at how blunt I was with her on the phone. Why?"

"Nothing, really. I just got a few nuisance calls today, and I'm wondering if it's her. There was no caller ID, so I couldn't tell who it was. It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it."

"OK, man. If you're sure? See you in about an hour."

Nathan watched as Clay walked off to the executive suites, and he was concerned. If it was Rachel being a bitch and calling Clay, he wondered what he'd gotten Clay into. He shook his head and continued on his way to the team gym.

*****

Following a good solid workout, Nathan felt invigorated by the great day he was having. It was like having the Midas touch on recovery, and it was extremely gratifying. After another shower and change of clothes, Nathan met Clay upstairs where they spoke at length on some suitable endorsements. Just the usual gaggle of contenders; power drinks, sports shoes, sunglasses and watches. All of that seemed interesting to Nathan and indicated to Clay to pursue some of those leads. Thinking back to some of the things he saw hanging on Haley's wall, he also asked Clay to look into some local youth sporting projects, or the possibility of starting some initiatives; maybe with the YMCA or similar foundations.

Clay had surmised that the recent good fortune in Nathan's love life and recovery were inspiring him to start doing some truly great things. To be remembered as a great person as well as a great player. For the first time in his career as a sports agent, Clay was able to see beyond the dollar signs. The ten percent seemed almost trivial when he listened to the genuine tone in Nathan's voice. Together they would do some good, and it was going to feel great.

Following the meeting, which included a quick ten minute chat with one of the PR executives for the Bobcats, the two men headed back down to their cars, so that Nathan could discard his gym bag. Exiting the secure parking lot on foot, they were on their way to grab a quick bite when they almost barrelled into a young woman.

"Well hello, Nathan. Long time no see."

"We spoke on the phone yesterday, Rachel."

"I know Nathan, but I wasn't too pleased with how that panned out. Anyway, who's this fine specimen with you? Wait! Let me guess. It's the mysterious Clay, right?"

"Hi, Rachel. Clay Evans. We spoke the other day."

"That's right. When you told me Nathan wouldn't be available to speak to me."

"Rachel, don't cause a scene in public."

"Shut up, Nathan. I have every right to vent my frustration. You've been avoiding me."

"Rachel, we discussed this yesterday. We're done, OK. We have been for a while now. I wish you all the best, but this is it, OK? No more contact."

"I don't like being treated this way, Nathan."

"And I don't like my wishes being disrespected, but that's just how it is right now, isn't it? Listen, if it's about landing a player or whatever, I'm sure you can find some other team with available players to chase after"

"How dare you!"

"How dare I? How about you, Rachel? Are you proud of the way you're conducting yourself? Are you going to look back on this and think you were mature in how you handled this? Just leave it alone. Oh, and by the way, stop calling and hanging up on Clay. That would be the first step in being mature in all of this."

"Oh that's rich coming from you. I don't need a lesson in maturity from someone like you, Nathan."

"Guys – you need stop this before you start drawing a crowd. Let's just part on civil terms and call it a day, OK?"

"Fine", they both huffed out at the same time.

Rachel adjusted the strap of her purse, and straightened her jacket before walking off, turning back moments later to see if they were looking. It was a wasted effort as they had disappeared; either back inside the secure parking, or around the corner to another part of town.

* * *

Nathan was severely pissed off at the Rachel encounter and it had put him a bad room. He had had a great day up until she showed up at team HQ. It felt like an invasion of privacy somehow, and despite her protests, she still came off looking like nothing more than a desperate woman. Today was going to be the day he declared his love for Haley, and that stupid bitch had soured the day. He drove home slamming the steering wheel every so often, and was determined that would be the last time some clingy cow like Rachel would interfere in his life.

Punching a familiar number into the console keypad, he turned down the stereo while waiting for Haley to pick up. His face lit up and his demeanour changed instantly the moment he heard her say "Hello".

"Hey Hales, what are you wearing right now?"

"Nathan!" she couldn't help but laugh at his leading question.

"What? I'm joking. No I'm not – what are you wearing right now?" They both laughed at his lame joke.

"Where are you Nathan?"

"I'm driving home. But I have a question for you"

"OK, hit me with it."

"Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"With who?" Now it was her turn for lame jokes.

"Very funny. With me, of course. I wanted to see if you're interested in trying out the Italian restaurant I told you about."

Haley ran her fingers through her hair. She wanted to, but was concerned about them being seen in public.

"Nathan, are you sure about this? This means going out in public and you possibly being recognised. If you've forgotten, you're something of a public figure, remember?"

"Haley, it'll be fine. It's Bill & Tony's – they're my friends, and they'll get us in and we'll be very discreet. No-one will know we're there, I promise. Besides, tonight's a special occasion."

"Oh yeah, why is that?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"OK, then. What time, and where?"

"I'll come to your place around 7.30pm."

She took in a sharp breath before asking her next question. "So, are you coming back to my place later for coffee?"

"Like you even have to ask, Hales"

Both of them hung up, again acting like giddy teenagers, and Nathan couldn't wait for 7.30pm to come quick enough.

* * *

Nathan had been true to his word. Bill & Tony's was one of Charlotte's best-kept secrets and it had quickly become one of Nathan's favourite places to come to when he wanted to escape the confines of his house. He had quickly befriended the owners, Bill and Tony Carluccio, and they had always kept Nathan's presence quiet. It was all service entrances and private dining rooms, although the restaurant itself was not exclusive in any way. The brothers prided themselves in providing an "everyman" ambience to their restaurant while also catering for some of their more famous clientele. The Brothers Carluccio quickly became great friends with the Brothers Scott.

The private dining room was basic in design – thick walls decorated with Murano glass pieces and landscape photos of regional Italy. The focal point of the room was a long, handcrafted wooden dining table that could seat upto fourteen people. Tonight, it was reserved for two.

Bill and Tony sat with the couple for a few moments, while they all sampled a new Sangiovese Merlot from Tuscany while discussing Bill and Tony's recommendations for dinner. Once they had agreed on their menu selections, the Carluccio's left Nathan and Haley to enjoy their privacy.

"This restaurant is amazing, Nathan. Thank you so much for suggesting it."

"My pleasure. I love coming here. Bill and Tony are great guys, and apart from the fuss they made over us just now, they usually just sit me in here with no fanfare, and bring out some pasta for me and a glass of water."

"Surely that's not true!" she playfully hit his arm as she spoke.

"OK, not quite. They usually give me garlic bread, too" he laughed as she hit his arm again.

"So, tell me. How did your session at HQ go today?

"Pretty well. It feels like it's coming together. The trainers are pushing me, but not too hard, don't worry."

"Good. Can't wait to get my hands on their reports. I'll see what they really think of you! She smile at him as she sipped more of her wine. Haley watched as Nathan looked a little dour all of a sudden, like he had some bad news to delivery.

"Nathan, is everything OK?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was having such a great day today, but something kinda spoiled it."

"What is it?"

"Rachel."

Haley sat her glass back down on the table and looked at Nathan worriedly.

"What about her?"

"Hales, she's not really taking the hint that I don't want to see her. She called me the other day at home, and I spoke to her. I couldn't have made it any clearer that she needs to move on, but she doesn't seem to get it. Today at HQ, I met up with Clay and we went to grab a bite, and there she was! Clay thinks she's been calling and hanging up on him. She just seems to be everywhere, and I don't know what to do."

Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was ridiculous, even for someone like Rachel. She never remembered her being so…."psychotic" in high school.

"Nathan, I'm sorry. I'm not sure what to say. Do you think she's a bit..I don't know how to put this gently, but….is she a bit unhinged?"

"Look, Hales. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up now. I wanted us to have a nice dinner and just get away from it all, and here I am ruining it by mentioning Rachel and her irrational behaviour. Let's just forget it and enjoy the rest of the night, OK?"

"Nathan, we can talk about this now. I can still enjoy my night out. If I can help you in anyway by talking about this, then I'm going to feel pretty good about tonight."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

They continued their conversation, but kept it fairly light, agreeing that goading Rachel would just make her feel encouraged and that the best thing to do would be to ignore her as much as possible. Haley concluded that while it may seem like a lot of effort to do so, she would _eventually_ get the message and move on.

Before too long, they had completely changed the topic of conversation and had moved on to more pleasant things, like favourite vacation destinations and crazy family holiday traditions. Nathan was worried that the "date-night" vibe he had set out to create had been lost by the inclusion of Rachel-talk, but was happy to see they had recaptured their romantic night, exchanging small kisses and laughter over dessert and coffee.

By the time Nathan had paid the check, they made their way out of the private room, and through a small part of the kitchen, thanking the chefs for their meal as they were ushered out through the private service door. They held hands tightly as they walked a short path in dark alley before reaching Nathan's car. They looked around quickly before sharing a short kiss, hopping into the car and driving away; Nathan only turning on his car lights once he turned onto to the public road.

Across the way, they failed to see the women standing in the shadows who had witnessed their mini love fest tonight.

* * *

They walked through her front door, thoroughly spent from dinner, but as soon as she locked the door behind them, they pressed their bodies together with urgent kisses and desperate grabbing for removal of clothes.

They made their way upstairs, leaving a small trail of occasionally discarded piece of clothing, and by the time they made it into Haley's bedroom, they were both half-naked. Nathan pulled away from their frantic kisses first, cupping her face in his hands and taking the time to drink her in. She was simply stunning, and he was the luckiest bastard in the world to have her in his life.

"I wanted tonight to be really special, Haley"

"It was…it is, Nathan. This is exactly how we should have spent tonight."

"I know, but I've wanted to tell you something for a while now, and I didn't want it to be at some random time."

"What? What is it?"

"I love you, Haley. I'm in love with you – to the point where it feels almost overwhelming, but there it is. That's how I feel."

Cupping his face at the mention of his love for her, she looked into his eyes and smiled widely.

"I'm in love with you too, Nathan, and I think I have been from basically day one. I can't explain it, but there it is. That's how I feel too."

"God, I love you Haley. C'mere."

The both locked lips again, but now the urgency was replaced with something else; something more delicate in the light of their revelations to each other. It was slower and deeper, each touch felt like tiny sparks lighting them up.

Removing their remaining clothing, they inched their way down onto the bed, limbs tangling as they explored each other. Tasting, touching, worshipping. It was intense yet sweet, tempered with tiny declarations of love. They touched each other intimately, feeding each other's arousal with stimulation. Once Nathan had sheathed himself, their bodies joined and soon formed a familiar rhythm, moulded together and rocking against each other; both climaxing and sending each other over the edge.

Completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of declaring their love, and the intense physical display which followed, neither felt any need to shift their positions; Nathan remained semi-erect inside Haley as they satisfied each other with slow, dreamy kisses and erotic touches, small nips to each other's sensitive skin followed by languid licks, acting as salve. The contact was both intensely erotic and tremendously comforting, the actions of lovers secure in the new phase of their relationship.

Nathan couldn't help the smirk that formed as he took in the look of ecstasy on Haley's face, although it widened into something more akin to awestruck as he took a moment to see the love and affection he felt for her reflecting back in her eyes. There was a warmth and glow to have their feelings confirmed to each other, and now each action the lovers took held extra meaning. A connection that neither one had experienced before with anyone else. They were deeply in love with each other, and the rush of emotions coursing through their bodies was unparalleled to anything they had known. It was as if those tiny sparks had transformed into a fire lit within them. A fire so bright that nothing could put it out.

It radiated through Nathan, stoking both his passion and his desire. He looked down at Haley, and saw her watching him with such adoration that he knew in an instant she felt the same emotions pooling within. She loved him completely and with such devotion it shook him to his very foundations.

Nathan stilled and felt himself grow impossibly hard inside her as lust and joy penetrated them both. He began to rock his hips gently against her, thrusting slowly as he focused on her. They exchanged knowing smiles as her walls tightened almost painfully around him in response to his movements.

He closed the tiny amount of distance between them, and their already tangled fingers clasped more tightly. "I love you so much, Haley," he whispered before teasing her lips open gently with his tongue.

Haley moaned against him and brought her leg up to swathe over his hip, wrapping herself around him. Breaking the kiss for a moment, she murmured, "I love you too, and I love the way you feel inside me."

Their lips came back together, more urgent this time. He positioned himself against her and moved forward, sliding himself fully inside her. Nathan moved a hand to cup Haley's breast and teased her by running a thumb over her hardened nipple while her hands moved to trace the strong muscles of his torso before resting behind his neck. Breathless moans became cries of passion, before they joined their lips in passionate kisses, coming together.

They rolled back onto the bed, nestled against each other, pressing final good-night kisses and whispering "I love you" while their lips still touched. They closed their eyes, committing tonight to memory as the best night of their lives.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hi Clay, do you remember we finally met today? It's Rachel Gattina."

"Rachel, what do you want? Do you even know what time it is?"

"Of course I do, it's time to talk. I was out tonight, and who do I see? Two people I used to go to high school with; Nathan Scott and Haley James. By the looks of it, they were trying hard not to be seen in public. I wonder why?" she spat out, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Rachel, what the hell do you want?"

"Wouldn't it be a shame if their private relationship suddenly became public?"

_**xx see you all in a couple of weeks xx**_


End file.
